


Blood and Cigarettes

by luckynik



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Bank Robbery, Blood Drinking, Complicated Relationships, Culebras (From Dusk Till Dawn), F/M, Guns, Loss of Virginity, Mexico, On the Run, Shameless Smut, Voyeur(Seth), Voyeurism, bullets flying, can't catch a break, maybe OT3, who got shot now?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-06 14:37:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 68,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8756461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckynik/pseuds/luckynik
Summary: During a jewelry store heist, things go sideways. Los Tres Geckos need to find a place to lay low after they fence their goods, all roads lead back to the Mexican desert...





	1. Brooks Jewelry Store

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins after the Season 3 finale, imagining that all that bullshit happened and for whatever reason Seth and Richie thought it was a good idea to go back to robbing banks, after Richie so painstakingly faked their deaths... *ahem* anyway...
> 
> Warning for those who require it: It's mostly kichie, at this point, and i'm really not sorry. But don't worry, Seth will not be left out in the cold. It *may* eventually be OT3, it looks to be heading that way, at least. I don't know if it will actually go there, but i'm keeping the option open.
> 
> Comments, Kudos and constructive criticism are always welcome!

 

Nickel plating glinted in last flicker of sunlight, a blinding white light. Heat engulfed his palm and a flash of sulfur burned his nostrils. Smoke spiraled in bluish-white tendrils. Metal chinks. Bricks whapped and zinged as sizzling bullets ricochet off their surfaces. His glasses fogged so heavily he couldn't even see what the fuck he was shooting at, but it didn't matter. Richie held his colt steady and unloaded several rounds.

The store alarm began to whine.

_Boom. Boom. Ping._

Like the clap of cymbals in percussion, the high-pitched pierce of shattering glass rang out.

_Tat-tat._

Bystander screams and shouts muffled into the rap of gunfire. Some were innocent, some not so much. Employees. Customers. Cops. He didn't give a shit about any of them; they were nameless, faceless skin bags.

_Boom-tat-boom._

His index finger squeezed the trigger. _Click._ “Fuck!”

Gunshots rumbled and exploded around him in an unceasing symphony, racing toward a bloody crescendo. Fragments of lead and metal came at him from all directions, missing him by a whisper. Brass casings rattled and twanged as they bounced off surfaces with a hiss and cascade to the ground.

For a moment, he felt untouchable—like DeNiro. Like fucking _Doc McCoy_ in _The Getaway—_ the original, not the remake. This was the type of shit he lived for! Then, he heard fabric tearing and a bolt of pain careened through his arm, knocking him off his feet to the ground behind a parked sedan.

“Richie?”

His name echoed through the alley, carrying on the wind between rounds of gunfire. Her voice burrowed deep. _Kate…_

Sirens wailed and screeched—more cops swarmed the exterior of Brooks Jewelry store. He was trapped. Blood hammered through his veins, pushing through his circulatory system by the frantic pump of his heart. It only beat when blood was involved. He got up, pressing into the side of the vehicle. Sultry air forced its way into his body, working its way in and out of his lungs as an automatic response, not because he needed it.

 _Be. Cool_.

His brother’s voice rang in his ears. Fluid seeped from the frayed fabric surrounding the brand new hole in his bicep, gushing down the limb in a hot slide between his fingers. Adrenaline slammed though his body, until he didn't really feel the pain anymore. A hand snaked down his side, reaching for the extra clip weighing down his jacket pocket. He released the empty one with his gun-hand and it plummeted to the asphalt with a hollow clank.

“Give it up, Geckos. We have you surrounded!” squawked through a bullhorn across the street. The Odessa Police Force was persistent, if nothing else.

He shoved the loaded clip in haphazardly, grinding metal on metal. _Click. Snap._ With a smooth arc and push of his thumb the gun cocked.

“Seth?”

“Would you quit jerkin-off over there,” his brother barked. “Move, you sonofabitch! Kate. Car. Now.”

 _Ready. Set. Go!_ He shoved off the side of the vehicle, dodging the pop and clatter of another spray of bullets, as they split the fiberglass siding of several parked cars beside him.

“Come on, twinkle toes, we ain’t got all day.”

The passenger door of the glossy black Mercury Cougar swung open several feet in front of him. Seth climbed into the front of the parked car. Richie shuffled behind a large metal dumpster, making his way to the potentially safe haven the open door offered.

“Oh my god! I must’ve dropped the keys!”

“Now, Richard!”

He made it to the door. Seth sprawled across the front seat, ripping into the steering column of the muscle car.

Tears rimmed Kate’s wide green eyes. “I’m sorry, Seth!”

“Calm your tits, Princess. I’ve got this.” He jerked his head toward his brother. “You have the goddamn case?”

At the mention of their haul, Richie felt the weight of the black vinyl attaché handcuffed to his wrist, pulling on his freshly wounded arm. He had forgotten about it, for the moment. “Yes. I have the case. What the fuck are you doing?”

“What the fuck does it look like?”

Seth sorted through wires. Yellow starter wires. Brown ignition wires. Red Battery wires. He whipped out a pocketknife and stripped away the insulation to expose the metal. With a twist of the battery and ignition the dash lights and some other electrical components came alive. The radio blared with an appropriately fast-paced song. He stripped a half-inch of the starter wire, sparking it against the battery wire. The vehicle roared to life. He slid into the drivers seat properly and revved the engine.

“Get down, Kate. All the way.”

She ducked behind the seat, almost to the floorboard. Richie swung his large frame into the passenger seat, holding the attaché case on his lap. Seth shifted gears and his foot hit the gas pedal with a thud, before he even had a chance to pull the fucking door shut.

Tires peeled and another plume of smoke puffed into the air. With an arbitrary crank of the steering wheel, they spun toward the occupied sidewalk and a wall of armed policemen. “Fuck!” Seth grunted, “Hold on.”

The Cougar’s frontend busted the barricade. Seth jerked the wheel again and directed the car onto the sidewalk. Shrieking pedestrians scattered. Cops scrambled. More gunfire. Richie leaned out the window, returning a few rounds. The car zipped back to the street. Seth zigzagged three corners, at high-speed. A few more twist and turns led them away from the flashing red and blue halogen and wheezing sirens.

“That was fucking amazing—”

“You. Ass. Hole.”

Richie drew an unnecessary breath, sucking in air and forcing it deeper into his lungs. It burned. He patted his front pocket, searching for the key to the handcuffs. A painful throb worked its way through his arm and he remembered his wound. It would heal on it’s own, in less than an hour it would be as if it had never happened. The only tell would be the crimson stains across his sleeve.

“You okay?”

“Yes.” The car lurched as Seth over-corrected. He wasn't watching his driving anymore, his gaze locked on Richie. “Keep an eye on the road would you, you’re gonna kill us all!”

“I’m sorry I forgot…forgive me for showing an ounce of concern for my little brother, my bad. Christ.”

“You don’t have to worry about me like that anymore, remember? Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

He ignored the burning pain in his arm. “I lost the key, I think.”

“You fuck—” Seth growled.

Her voice came out barely audible and without his heightened senses he probably wouldn’t have heard her. “What was that back there?”

Richie hit the sun visor, tilting it, so he could see her. She looked scared. “Kate,” his voice softened, as he leaned over the seat. “You okay?”

She nodded slowly. He turned in his seat and extended the good arm, the arm not locked to the attaché case, to her and helped her get into the backseat properly. Kate held onto him a moment longer than necessary, gnawing the side of her lip. “No bumps, no scrapes.”

“Good.” He let his fingertips sweep down the side of her face, pushing away a lock of dark hair. He turned around, facing front, and reached into another pocket in his jacket. “We have to stop somewhere.”

“We will. I just want to put some distance between us and them first—if that’s alright with your highness.”

“Sarcasm. Great. That helps”

Stopping wasn't for him. It was for _her_. He wanted to make sure Kate was good. The cloying coppery tang of fresh blood filled his nostrils. Someone besides him was bleeding. He glanced at his brother. “You’re hit? Are you hit?”

“Flesh wound.”

“Fuck Seth.” Richie shifted. “You said you were fine! It’s not fine, I can fucking smell it, I can hear it gushing.”

“When you say things like that, it makes it _weird_.”

Kate leaned into the seat. “Seth? If you’re hurt we have to stop!”

“Smash and grab,” Richie hissed, gripping his arm. Blood pushed through his fingers, seeping from his body, but his own blood smelled different. “Smash and grab, that’s was the fallback if things went sideways, what happened to smash and grab?”

“This was better.”

Richie hit the dashboard, knocking open the glove box. He rummaged through it, searching for a piece of wire, bobby pin, or pen...anything that might aid him in removing the fucking handcuff.

“Do you have a pen?”

“Sorry,” Seth grumbled, “must have left it in my other jacket.”

“Kate,” he asked. “Bobby pin, anything?”

“No,” she answered.

He found a length of wire in the glove box and began to straighten it out. “How many jobs have we pulled, Seth? After all the shit we’ve been through in the last two years. Why can’t we have just one job that actually goes to fucking plan?”

“Don't blame this on me!”

“I didn't.”

“No? Because it just sounded a hell of a lot like you were trying to blame this on me—being that the jewelry store was my idea to begin with. Did you or did you not just say this was my fault?”

“No—”

Kate attempted to interrupt, “Can we not do this now?”

“No? Because I don't see you out there, casing these goddamn joints.”

“Of course you don’t, because I was working out all the details. Schematics. Logistics. I was planning the fucking job, which apparently made no difference. My plans didn’t mean shit to you, did they?”

“Do you know what I had to do to get my hands on the blueprints to the store, so you could do your thing? I don't think so—you know why—because you never fucking asked. You said you needed them, so I fucking got them. Don't tell me what I thought about the plan. I don't need this shit—not from you.”

“All I’m saying—”

“Shut up, Richard!”

Seth sunk back in the drivers seat, retreating into a standard post-Gecko-argument pout, right hand clutching his abdomen. Richie stuck the end of the wire into the keyhole on the cuff and bent, carefully working it into the squiggle shape he would need to lift the locking mechanism. Kate leaned on the back of the seat, observing what he hoped would be a Houdini-like escape from the goddamn handcuff.

With practiced movements, he jimmied the locking arm. It didn't take long. The cuffs opened with a soft click. The slight hitch in her breath made the corner of his mouth arch into a smirk. He liked when the things he did impressed her.

“You made that look so easy.”

“Lock. _Artist_.” He winked. “I’ll teach you.”

Removing the extra weight helped, but his arm still throbbed and ached like a mother— He flipped the attaché case over and fondled the locks, rolling out the various number combinations he’d memorized from a piece of paper that had been taped behind the counter. It didn't take long. Richie went through a few of the combinations and the clasps clicked open.

“What did we get?” asked Seth. His voice sounded strained. “I told her to pack it all, did she pack it all? If she didn't pack it all, I’ll pull this car over right now—”

Richie lifted the lid. “Looks like all of them.”

Black velour padded trays and bracelet bars were full of various pieces of jewelry. There were pillows for pendants and chain hooks filled with glittering gold and diamond pieces.

He picked up the little velvet satchel tucked in the corner of the case and pulled the strings apart. Richie turned the pouch over and shook the contents out. A collection of loose diamonds tumbled into his open hand.

Kate inhaled sharply and he and Seth shared a glance.

Returning the ice back into the velvet bag, Richie made a rough count of the other items. The full ring tray held at least forty twinkling rings. Chain hooks were filled with necklaces, ranging from simple and exquisite. The bracelet roll had fourteen sections, but there were only ten bracelets. Gold. Silver. Gemstones. There were also a few specialty pieces, a large, sparkling diamond heart necklace, an emerald and diamond peacock feather broach, and a gold jewel-encrusted snake bangle bracelet.

“We’re in business, boys and girls.”

“You’re goddamned right!”

Richie checked the blood-speckled face of his watch. Luckily, he could still make out the time. “We have eighteen hours to get them to them appraised and keep our appointment with the fence.”

“How much?”

“Seven fifty, maybe a mil. Depends. The specialty pieces will be harder to move.” He picked up the snake bangle, noting the sparkling ruby eyes. Even now his fate taunted him. “The rest can be pulled apart and recut, set into different settings and made into different pieces. In twenty-four hours none of this jewelry will exist anymore.”

“That’s tragic,” said Kate, running her finger across the golden snake’s head and down it’s back, while he held it. “The pieces are all so gorgeous.”

He returned the bangle and closed the lid, pressing the clasps down, and passed it into the backseat with her. Dizziness overcame him as he sat back in the seat.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He needed blood and then he would really be fine. He glanced at Seth, who appeared to be loosing more blood than him. “You look pale.”

“I’m fine. GPS says there is a store not to far from here, a few miles. We can stop and pick up provisions. I’m going to use the facilities and take care of this, then we’ll figure out where to go from there.”

“El Paso…”

“No.”

“Val might help?”

“There’s a blast from the past.” Seth downshifted. “I doubt it.”

Blue and orange neon signage came into view and, despite it being evening, a creeping sense of déjà vu overcame him. There were no other vehicles parked at the pumps, save for a single car in the parking spaces that likely belonged to the clerk. Good. Practically deserted. That was just what they needed. The car slowed and veered into the station. His brother didn't pull into a spot; he parked sideways and took up three spots.

“Well, this isn’t gonna draw attention to us at all.”

“Shut up, Richard.” Seth yanked the parking break and first inspected his wounded left arm through layers of bloody clothing, and then tended his own abdomen. “Don't worry. We won’t be here long enough for anyone to notice. In. And. Out. Low profile. Kate,” he cocked his head toward her. “Stay here, keep the car running.”

He didn't wait for an answer, before climbing out of the car. Richie grumbled as he pushed the door open.

“Can you get me—”

 _Gummy Bears._ He knew exactly what she wanted. “Consider it done, Katie.”

She grinned at him. With that smile, if she had wanted the whole damn store he would have brought it out to her.

His arm still hurt, but the bleeding had stopped and he could already feel his body begin to mend itself. Richie followed Seth into the convenience store. It smelled; over-cooked hotdogs and stale coffee wafted through the place. The bell above the door tinkled as the glass swept closed.

“The Gecko Brothers are armed and dangerous,” blared a showy TV news reporter. “Four police officers were wounded this afternoon in a shootout at _Brooks Jewelry Store_ and are listed in critical condition, two others died at the scene. An unidentified young woman, who police assume may be a hostage, is with them. If you have information on the whereabouts of the Gecko Brothers, the police ask you to call this number…” red block numbers blinked across the bottom of the screen. “Do not approach them, do not try to apprehend them. Authorities are waiting on standby.”

Their grainy black and white mugshots flashed across the screen.

Seth breathed, “Fuck.”

“The dastardly Gecko’s,” repeated the overly dramatic reporter, “are considered armed and very dangerous.”

The store cashier turned away from the television set and toward them.

Seth looked at him. “Dastardly?”

The cashier’s eyes widened with recognition and his mouth dropped open. He fumbled and reached for the telephone.

“I like it,” Richie smirked. He yanked his gun from his waistband and stuck it in the man’s face. “I wouldn't if I were you.”

“Low profile,” Seth grumbled. “What happened to low profile?”

 

...


	2. Bullets with Butterfly Wings

 

“You didn't have to eat the goddamn guy.”

“Yes I did,” and he wasn't even sorry. Richie fisted the steering wheel. They had switched positions after chaos at the convenience store. This time, miracle of miracles—Seth let him fucking drive. He focused on the task, while his brother slumped in the passenger seat, refusing to let either of them help him. “It’s bad enough we got popped,” he continued. “One of us has to be in a workable condition to finish the job. My problem is easier to fix than yours.”

“I’m. Fine.”

Kate chewed a gummy bear, ripping its head off. “So who’s Val?”

“Trouble,” answered Seth. “Big. Huge. Trouble.”

Richie couldn't help but smirk. He liked trouble. Only trouble was interesting. And yes, Val was trouble. “She’s a very old friend.”

“Friend? Is that what we’re calling it now, Richard?”

He glanced at Kate’s reflection in the rearview, catching her inquisitive green eyes. His gaze traveled the column of her neck and down to the scoop of her shoulder, to the sweep of dark hair flipped behind her. The muscles in her neck flexed as she swallowed. His eye continued on, down her décolletage, to the thin white blouse fitted to her chest. The pace of her heart increased, thrumming into a steady rhythm. It was musical and hypnotic at the same time. She flushed under the weight of his stare. He could just barely make out her nipples, peaked against the sheer fabric. Richie had to force his gaze back to her face, and then back to the road.

Seth picked up the bottle of alcohol, broke the seal, and took a deep swig.

“You look like shit.”

“Goddamn it, I said I’m fucking fine.”

Richie yanked the bottle from his brother, brought it to his own lips, and knocked it back. Harsh, brown liquid flowed into his mouth, pricking his tongue and burning down the back of his throat as he swallowed. He passed the bottle back to Kate, watching her glossy pink lips wrap around the mouth. A tickertape of images passed through his mind—the places he wanted to see those lips. His dick twitched, knowing it was first on that list. She was fucking badass today, swinging her gun around like a pro, like a gun-toting _Cherry Darling_ and he got hard watching her.

Her whole face scrunched at the burn as she swallowed and she exhaled. She passed the bottle back to Seth, who began to pour the swill down his throat. Richie blinked away the erotic images, turning his attention back to his brother.

“We’re gonna have to stop and dig the bullet out.”

He tilted the bottle a second time, downing a good deal of the hooch. “How long till we get to her bar?”

“Hours. I’m not sure you’ll make it that long.”

“I will,” he spat. “I’ve had worse.”

Richie didn't believe that for a second. As far as he could tell the bullet hadn’t nicked any arteries, Seth would be dead if it had. But it wasn't something they could let go. The bullet had to come out, the wound had to be cleaned, and then it had to be closed and dressed—or it would get infected. The last thing they needed at this juncture was an infection. It’s not like they could dump him off at a hospital if turned into fucking sepsis.

“No,” he said. “Soon as we hit Pecos we’ll find a motel and take care of this. We'll get some rest and recoup, we’ll request a late checkout, and then head for El Paso around sundown tomorrow.”

For once, Seth didn't argue with his plan.

 

###

 

The bullet had hit him in the fleshy part of his side and it looked much worse than it was, supposedly. Richie thought with proper attention Seth would be fine, and without care they would run into a whole lot more trouble. She agreed with his assessment.

Kate stripped out of the white blouse and kicked her shoes off, leaving her in a white tank top and black skirt.

Richie popped an unlit cigarette into his mouth and it stuck to his lip, as he shuffled around the innocuous motel room. He brought her every single towel he could find. Seth heaved his large frame upright against the headboard, toward the middle of the bed, leaving enough room for Kate to sit beside him. He picked up the alcohol and took another deep swig.

On the nightstand, along with the obligatory ashtray, blinking alarm clock, lamp, and TV remote, Richie laid out the items they took from the convenience store: needles and thread, a roll of gauze, medical tape, and an unopened package of large tweezers. He had already told her he would dig out the bullet himself, but needed her help. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, watching him take the ice bucket into the small bathroom.

“Can you sew, Princess?”

“Sure,” she bristled. “I’m female, shouldn’t I know how to sew?”

Seth lolled his head toward her, more than half drunk. “It was just a question, Kate.”

“No. I can’t. But I don’t cook either and we manage not to starve, so I think I can handle it.”

“Atta girl!”

Richie came back, setting the bucket full of water down on the nightstand. He slipped his jacket off and rounded the edge of the bed. He picked up Seth’s gun, released the clip and counted bullets, and then did the same check with his and her guns. He shoved the clip back into the gun and yanked the slide. “We need to pick up more ammo too.”

She picked up two towels, laying the first across her lap and dipped the other into the ice bucket full of water. Richie kneeled beside the bed, between her and his brother. He grabbed Seth’s no longer white shirt and ripped it open, sending buttons flying in all directions. Seth growled as he peeled the saturated fabric away from the wound.

Kate began to clean the blood away.

His body shook. “Feels like fucking acid.”

“It only water, brother. Breathe.”

She leaned forward, letting her free hand slide across his bare abdomen, holding him still while she tended the bullet wound.

Richie arched an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. Instead, he picked up the remaining alcohol and used it to sterilize the large pair of tweezers. Then, he waived the bottle at her, nodding toward the wound.

“Are you sure about this?”

“It’s all we got to clean it with.”

She turned the bottle over and let the alcohol splash into his wound—without warning Seth first. Richie held him down as he flailed and cursed.

“There is another bottle somewhere. Tequila. Maybe in that paper bag over there on the end of the bed. We may need it.”

Kate nodded in silent acceptance and rose. As she stood, the bag flipped off the edge of the bed. She took two steps and bent from the waist. The hem of her skirt teased up the back of her thighs, exposing far more than she meant to. Slowly, she straightened up, pushing the tight fabric back down her legs. Warmth rushed her cheeks and when she turned around, she found just what she had expected—both of them leering at her.

She waved the bottle. Richie wiped the sweat from his cheek and pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose, Seth’s blood smeared across his skin. “Thank you.”

Her cheeks were blazing. She could practically see the color in the glass of the hanging artwork. It was deep. She felt the heat all the way down her chest. Blushing was stupid, considering all she had been through with them, but she couldn't help her body’s reaction. Seth’s let his head rock back into the headboard, closing his eyes. He didn't have enough blood in his body to react anyway. But Richie did, she could read every single dirty thought on his face and when their eyes met, she felt it too.

The pain was worse than Seth anticipated, apparently. He wasn't trying to hide it anymore. “I need a distraction.”

“Well, I could sew you up topless,” she joked, “but I wasn't really planning on it.”

“Too much,” he grunted. “Way too much.” He reached for the TV remote lying on the nightstand beside them. He pressed buttons, but the remote didn’t do anything. “Turn the TV on for me, would you?”

His glassy eyes met hers, briefly. He was drunk, but the pain clouding those dark eyes was unmistakable. She slid off the bed again and took short steps to the dresser holding the ancient television set.

“Anything in particular?”

“No.” Cartoons played across the screen. “That’ll do.”

Richie’s blue eyes flickered in the glow of the television. “Come back over here. Sit on his legs.”

“What?”

“Just do it, Kate.” Richie shifted, so he could hold Seth down with one hand, and retrieve the bullet with the other. “Sit on his legs and hold his hips flat as you can, he won’t stay still, and he’s not gonna make it easy.”

“Lets get this fucking shit over with,” slurred Seth. “Quickly please.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

He spat, “Do it!”

Kate climbed up on the bed and straddled him, placing a knee on either side of his legs. She pushed her hands into his hips and shifted most of her weight to her arms. “Maybe we should put a gag in his mouth?”

“Just do it, cheeky. Do it now.”

“With any luck you’ll pass out before you puss out,” said Richie.

Every curse word Seth knew came to his tongue as the large silver tweezers sunk into the bullet wound. She even thought he made up a few of his own. Kate struggled to keep him still, while Richie went to work. Sweat beaded across Seth’s forehead, almost immediately.

 

###

 

“I’m sorry, brother.” 

Richard Gecko rarely apologized for anything in his life. Seth whispered, “Don't be.” But he wasn't sure the words actually came out of his mouth.

Kate drew a breath and held it, almost through the entire ordeal. She dutifully helped Richie. It was almost funny. When their crazy ride began, Richie was the one who got shot and almost died—did die? The solution for him wasn't this simple. Then Kate… shot to death, possessed by a psycho demon bitch, and then almost died all over again while they tried to get her back. The way he saw it, it was just his turn for a dance.

Richie felt around his side and pushed with his fingers, thinking he located the bullet. He lowered the tweezers back to the wound, _third_ time. The metal tongs went straight down and as he dug around agonizing fissures of pain shot through his torso. Very quickly, it spread like fire through his limb and the rest of his body.

Seth gasped. For a moment he felt like a fish out of water, fucking suffocating. A thicker sheen of sweat coated his skin. Blood pumped through body. He didn't know how long this torture continued, but it felt like several goddamn hours.

And then it stopped.

Slowly, he peeled his eyes open. It took a moment for his eyes to focus. Richie held up the tweezers with a hunk of bloody, warped metal pinched between the tongs. The fragment landed in the ashtray on the nightstand with a soft clink.

“Half way done,” Seth slurred.

His head swam and his vision blurred—sufficiently drunk. The pain alternated between sharp and dull and the ordeal left him exhausted. Kate poured more alcohol on his abdomen. This time, he hardly felt the sting.

He and Richie both watched as she carefully pushed the end of the coarse black thread through the eye of the needle…

 

...


	3. What I Know To Be True

 

 

They made sure Seth was comfortable. That was about all they could do with his unconscious mass, at the moment. Then, she and Richie cleaned up the bed and nightstand. Kate carried the ice bucket full of filthy red water. He carried the bloody tools and all the towels. 

She dumped the bloody water and he tossed everything else into the bathtub.

Exhaustion crept up as the adrenaline drained from her body. It was very late. Kate leaned on the sink. Her bloody fingers left smudges all around the rim, where she touched.

“He said he was fine. How many times did he say he was fine?”

“Seth _is_ fine.” Richie sidled up behind her, pressing his front into her back and arched over her to turn the water on. “He’s gonna be just fine.”

His weight and smell was a comfort she had come to rely on over the last few months. Kate leaned into him. She knew these boys, inside and out. She knew them, separately and together. He and Seth were both so rough around the edges, wild and unpredictable, but Richie was far gentler than she had ever given him credit for.

In fact, the man was a walking contradiction. He could be cruel and unfeeling one moment, as she had witnessed first hand, and then turn around and be sweet and tender the very next second. Though, she suspected she and Seth were the only ones who ever got to see that part of him.

Sometimes Richie just wanted to be close to her. Though, he denied wanting to cuddle even as they were curled up together. Sometimes it felt like he wanted to crawl inside her and stay there. Locked away, safe from a world that didn't understand him. Other times, it seemed he wanted to use her as a pretty unfulfilling sex toy. He would leave her in a panting heap on the bed, because she hadn’t gone all the way and he never pushed for more. Richie didn't get clingy too often, but she had to admit, those were the times she loved best.

Tonight didn't feel like any of that, it was something new. He nuzzled the side of her head, burying his nose in her hair, while grabbing the bar of motel soap from the dish. Kate took it from him and worked it into a lather to scrub their hands clean.

With one hand clean, Richie cupped the water and brought it to her face, spreading the splash of warmth across her cheek. She turned in his arms and pressed into his front, inhaling the familiar balm of blood and cigarettes—the very essence of Richard Gecko. It was a strange thing to find soothing, but she savored that smell. It meant he was close.

She slid his glasses from his face and ran them under the water too. There were better ways to clean them she supposed, but she didn't worry about that. He didn't need them to see anyway—the glasses were purely aesthetic.

Mimicking his movement, she cupped the water and cleaned the stain of Seth’s blood from his face. His thigh pressed into hers, his hip into her stomach, and her breasts into his ribs. One of her hands rested at the crook of his neck, her fingertip grazing the pulse point in his neck that didn't actually pulse. She could see the feather-light touch still had the desired effect, however.

“We’re a mess.”

Richie nodded his agreement. His nose nuzzled the tip of hers, before he nipped at her lip. It wasn't a kiss, not really. Then, he let his tongue tease across the seam of her mouth, across her bottom lip, waiting for her to take it further. She did not disappoint. Kate rocked up on her tiptoe and pushed her lips into his. To start, the kiss was reminiscent of their first encounter. Their kisses usually were, until he responded. He pushed her lips apart with his own, dipping his tongue into her mouth to steal a taste. His rawness drew her in and the sudden burst of passion awoke some primal need within her. She loved his kisses, and the last few times she started to want more. She wanted _him._ Her stomach clenched in a deliciously sinful way. She gave herself over to the siege of his tongue, submitting to the plunder of those lush lips…

Then it broke. Much. To. Soon…

He took her hand in his, palm to palm, as had been their repeated ritual. His words were soft and breathy, “I love you, Kate.”

For a moment, she thought she imagined it. He wasn't mocking and it didn't sound foolish. His admission was simple. Honest. She would remember it forever. Those words were the purest thing he had ever said. Tears stung her eyes. She had never said the words to him. She couldn't. Something bad had happened to every person she had ever said them to.

“Come on,” he whispered. “You need some sleep.”

Richie took her hand and led her back into the room, to the unoccupied second bed. He stripped out of his bloody shirt and tossed the thing on the floor. She didn't change her clothes.

They settled in the middle of the bed, together. He rolled out on his back. Kate stretched out beside him, resting her head on his chest. Kate wished she could hear his heart beat just once.

 

_…I hope you burn in Hell._

 

Her own words echoed in her head. She wasn't sure why she thought of it then. The husk of his voice had haunted her. The urgency of his actions followed, the utter panic at her being hurt. _Shot. Dying_. She knew for sure then that he cared very much. He had shown unchecked emotion in the presence of his enemies, it didn't get any more real than that. He had both begged and demanded that her brother give her his venom and, if Scott didn't, then he would. He probably would have too.

She said a lot of things. She was angry and broken and lashing out at them both, in that moment. Faithless.

In hindsight, maybe she should have let them turn her? She would have been a Culebra, but maybe then she would have had the power to fight Amaru before anything else had happened. Before anyone got hurt. If he had turned her, she wouldn’t have been lying there. The cut on her hand would have healed and ye olde hell bitch would have had no way in…

The time following the events of the twister and her possession by the demonic queen had been relatively normal in comparison—normal for them, anyway. They lived a nomadic and minimized existence. Life had become a mishmash of banks and motel rooms, but they were together.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You,” she answered. “Richie…after seeing, I’m sorry for a lot of the things I said to you. _Before_. I never apologized for that.”

“Seeing what?”

She had told them enough to satisfy their questions, but Kate hadn’t felt the need to divulge everything that happened while she was possessed. With the state she was in, she didn't know where to begin anyway. She had told them Amaru made her watch everything, but never went into detail about it. She didn't like to talk about it.

Kate lifted her head. “You,” she whispered. “Your soul. Everything she saw, everything she used to hurt you…I didn't understand, until then. But I’ve seen you, Richie, and you don't scare me.”

She let her knuckles drag softly down the side of his face and traced her fingertips across his full bottom lip, the same lips that stirred her insides into mush when he pressed them against hers. He didn't say anything, not that she expected him to. Richie threaded his fingers into her hair, drawing her head back down to his chest.

From the start, she had been drawn to him. The crazy one. Yeah, she was young and, yes, she was naïve to a lot of things, but Richard Gecko was not crazy. He was smart. A problem-solver. He presented this calm exterior most of the time, but the reality was far different. Most of the time, nothing held him back but the thinnest thread of restraint. There was always more going on with him. He was magnetic, like a celestial body. Richie had his own gravitational pull, and that force had completely and utterly pulled her in. That was what he did, pulled people into his orbit and sent them shooting off on some uncharted trajectory. It was something she knew could go two ways: it could be the most wonderful, intoxicating, _real_ experience she would ever know. Or it would consume her, eat her alive, and leave her scorched for daring to get too close to the flames.

She shouldn't want him.

She shouldn't have looked twice at him.

He did scare her at first, but that fear had evaporated quickly. She wasn't afraid of him, now she was afraid of wanting him and never having him. She was afraid of having him and losing him forever. Those feelings had lingered, ever present and just beneath the surface, even while they were apart.

Their relationship was ten times more complicated than anything she shared with Seth. He was protective and fierce—rock steady. Seth had become _their_ rock. She would always be safer with him and he would always come for her. No matter what. There were feelings with him too, but it had never been as frantic or intense as it was with Richie. Ironically, the way she felt about Richie only strengthened her bond with Seth.

 

###

 

When his eyes opened again it was still dark. Nothing but the garish blue glow of the television lit the room. Quiet too. The volume on the TV was down. Richie and Kate were entwined, asleep in the second bed on top of the covers.

He slowly sat up. He had to piss and he had to think, and he couldn't think when he had to pee. His stomach growled so hard it ached—he was starving. Seth stumbled to his feet. The room spun and his head swam.

He was still fucking drunk.

Hazy yellow lights flooded out from the open bathroom door, all outside lighting. He couldn't focus on a damn thing, but entered the small room anyway, moving straight to the toilet. He yanked his trousers open and maneuvered his dick out of his pants to relieve himself. The pain was more manageable now, but even that movement hurt.

He finished up, observing the bloody mess in the bathroom—it looked like someone died. Every single towel was a saturated red rag of cotton. Smudges and puddles of blood marred every useable surface. No wonder his entire left side ached… He didn't even bother to check his bandages, sure that Kate and Richie had done the job.

Seth needed fresh air. And caffeine. A place like this had to have a fucking vending machine somewhere.

He made his way outside. Orange and yellow light began to crest over the horizon and, at the moment, the world was still quiet.

They had one option, as far as he could see. They had to fence the jewels, collect their money, and then haul ass back to Mexico to chill out for a while. Find his goddamn beach and lay low until the heat died down. Val, if she was willing to help them, might let them shack up for a few days, so they could conclude their business. And, if she was feeling especially generous, she might even help them back across the border. Both of those things were asking _a lot._

That meant crossing at Juarez. He wasn't sure that was a good idea for anyone named Gecko.

Seth found the vending machine without too much hassle and bought a few things for himself and Kate and Richie. He picked out a few different kinds of soda and carried it all back to the room.

He sat down on his bed across from them, watching them sleep, as he ripped the foil wrapper off a Pop-Tart. They were the only two people in the world that he gave a shit about. The only two people in this whole fucked up existence that actually gave a shit about him.

And something was happening between them…

Kate loved Richie. He knew she did. She fell headfirst for his crazy ass at the very beginning of this weird ride. Whatever voodoo happened between them had been immediate and intense and they both felt it. It was obvious to everyone who saw them together. Those emotions were muddled and confused, but they had connected deeply, on a level he didn't even pretend to understand. He knew his brother felt the same. He didn't reveal that with words though, Richie proved it repeatedly by the lengths he was willing to go for this young woman. What Kate and Richie shared differed from every single one of his relationships. They were different because Richie was different.

He knew she loved him too and Seth loved her right back— _When A Man Loves A Woman_ kind of love, with him in Meg fucking Ryan’s title role.

But them? God, what a pair… The egghead boxman awkward fucking whackjob and virginal Bible thumping preacher’s daughter somehow found each other in the middle of the Mexican desert? Who the hell saw that coming? Certainly not him…

That was where his past relationships had always failed. He never fell for the type of women who could love his brother as much as he did. And he rarely approved of Richie’s choices. As soon as a woman started trying to push them away from each other it was over, a deal breaker. _Always_. Kate broke the mold. Things just worked with her.

She fit with them.

He wouldn't ever call Richie a ladies man, but he did have a very particular _skillset_ when it came to pleasing the women. He knew exactly what to do with his hands and that tongue. The fuck was crazy and unpredictable—always bordering insane, but never boring. Often, his antics were the thing that placed them in the direct line of fire.

Kate didn't care about that stuff. She understood that there was more to him than the trouble he caused. She understood that his big fucking brain worked in a different way from other people.

For his part, Richie had always been honest with Kate, _always_ , even when he was being an asshole. Honesty was a hot commodity with chicks. Richie was honest with everyone though, so that wasn't a particularly special trait. If he didn't find it necessary to lie, he wouldn't. Not like him. Big ones or little white ones, Seth always had something readily available to keep bitches out of his business. Even Kate, and that turned out to be a mistake on more than one occasion. He couldn't imagine being with someone he didn't have to ever lie to.

A tidal wave of emotion swelled to the surface and he swallowed it, bile too. The last thing he needed was more alcohol, but a little hair of the dog always did the trick.

As he put the bottle to his lips, he realized that he was the only member of their fucked up little family that could still be scientifically classified as human. They got her back, but the Kate they knew and loved died. The _Santa Sangre_ from the blood well and Amaru resurrected her. He didn't know what the hell that made her now… maybe they should figure that out?

 

**###**

His face felt warm. Slowly he became aware of more heat and light, yellows and reds filtering through his closed eyelids. Not just late afternoon heat, but body heat. Silky warm skin pressed into his back, with just enough sweat between them to make it sticky.

The room was humid.

Soft even breathing filtered into his consciousness, from the person behind him… he inhaled. Her smell was unlike anything else in the world. _Kate._ And, suddenly, the events of the previous evening rushed back in a violent wave. His eyes fluttered open. He had actually slept?

A stream of amber light flooded into the room from a part in the curtains, illuminating various items littered across the table: aspirin, the mostly-empty Tequila bottle, soda cans, food wrappers, his glasses. A twinkle of silver danced across the sleek barrel of Seth’s revolver.

He heard the chug of the shower and was glad his brother had been able enough to make it in there on his own. That meant he really was fine.

She made a noise behind him, a frightened moan and squeak. He rolled over. Tendrils of dark hair fanned across the pillow, eyes pinched tight, while he watched her irises volley behind her closed eyelids.

_Bad dreams again…_

“Katie,” he husked. “Wake up.” He pushed strands of hair out of her face. “Its just a dream. Come on, sweetheart. Wake up.”

With his prodding, her eyes opened. Wide.

“Was it the same one?”

She arched up and pressed her lips into his, little more than a peck. Her mouth was soft, but firm. The mesh of their lips moved into something deeper. Kate pelted him with open-mouth, each growing in intensity and heat. They were simple, but hard.

He dipped his tongue playfully into her mouth to slowly deepen each kiss a little more. Before Kate, he had believed the old adage that ‘a kiss was just a kiss’. For him, it always was. But nothing compared to _this_. She sunk into the embrace, returning his passion.

His fingertips dipped under her tank top and slid up her back. The touch wasn't overtly sexual, but it wasn't innocent either. “You’re trembling.”

“It won’t stop.” Kate edged closer to him, wrapping both arms around his torso. “Make it stop, Richie. Please.”

Leaning into her mouth, he teased across her bottom lip with his tongue, coaxing her into a deep French kiss. Her heart thumped into a pace and he could feel it. Warmth spread through her limbs, infusing his cold body. He heard almost nothing above the fuzz of her blood racing through her veins and rushing to her heart. It was more intoxicating than any alcohol he had ever consumed.

Kate threaded her fingers into his hair, at the nape of his neck. She didn't pull, only closed her fist. Richie growled and drew back slightly, tilting his head to the other side, before capturing her mouth again. She shifted onto her back, bringing him with her and submitting to him.

Richie slid a hand down her body, gripping her ass and holding her against him. The skirt bunched around her hips, almost on it’s own. He nipped the column of her neck, following each little bite with a wet lick and kiss. She rocked her hips into his, purring. He let both hands roam her torso, cupping both breasts. Richie yanked on her tank top and the thin material of her bra, and then pushed his hands around her ribcage to unhook it. He latched onto a rosy nipple, curling his tongue around the tightened bud in a torturously slow swirl.

He released that nipple and moved on to the other, leaving the first wet and exposed to the cool air.

“Wait—” she gasped. “—Where’s Seth?”

“Shower,” he mumbled, grazing his teeth across the ruddy pink peak.

He returned to her mouth. She scored her fingernails up the skin of his back and it sent a shiver down his spine. Her fingertips traced the lines of muscle across his abdomen, trailing down to his waistband. She usually stopped at that point, like she was afraid to fucking touch him. _Preacher’s daughter, she probably was…_

“Take it. Take what you want, Kate.”

Her hands trembled as she undid his trousers.

“Maybe you aren’t ready for that kind of control, yet.”

She hesitated. “I’m not the innocent little girl you think I am.”

“Yes you are.”

Richie tilted her face toward his, bringing his mouth down in a slant over hers. There was a moment, through the haze of lust, where he knew he needed to end this before he took it too far. But he didn’t.

She slid her hands around his waist, pushing into the fabric. Her fingers caressed the round of his ass, squeezing. His grunt of approval egged her on. Kate brought her hands around to the front. The pads of her fingers met the ribbed skin of his sac and teased up the underside of his shaft. She kept her touch light, hesitating again when he broke the kiss.

He pressed his forehead into hers and let out a short pant. He wanted so much more. The urge to splay her out and bust that soft pink pussy nearly overwhelmed him, but he wouldn't do that—not to Kate.

“Do it,” she cooed.

Kate read him like a goddamn book. Her sleepy command was the sexiest thing he had ever heard. But he knew she wasn't asking him for _that_ , not yet anyway.

“Please, Richie.”

He reared back slightly, propped on his elbows above her. “Ask nicely.”

“Richie,” she licked her bottom lip and took a breath. “Would you eat my pussy for me, please?”

He tangled his fingers in the band of her panties and yanked them from her ass, sliding them down her legs. His hand came to rest on her knee, pausing a moment before pushing his fingers down her inner thigh, parting her legs.

 

...


	4. Lap. Lick. Kiss… jealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is E X P L I C I T

 

 

A wry smile touched his lips and the expression on his face turned absolutely predatory. She panted so hard in anticipation that she almost hyperventilated. 

He moved slowly, like a stalking animal, more cat than snake in her opinion, sinking down to the mattress and settling between her legs. He lowered his head to her and kissed the inside of her thigh, caressing his cheek against the tender flesh. 

_Lap. Lick. Kiss…_

Richie took his time, winding his tongue up one wet lip and down the other, laving her folds and sucking the excess juice. Until, finally, he sucked her clit into his mouth with a kiss. Kate moaned as she jerked toward him, hips bucking, shoving her delicacy further in his face. She was already dripping wet. Shit—the last few weeks had been one continuous, frustrating state of arousal.

“Ooh!” Her head rocked back into the mattress.

His fingers dug into her thighs, holding her legs apart as he feasted. Her stomach summersaulted. Every part of her body tingled.

He alternated between tonguing and suckling her clit.

“Oh, _Richie_ …”

This time, as he latched onto the sweet little bundle of nerves, a finger slid inside her sopping core, pumping hard.

“Oh god,” she groaned as the pressure increased.

Her body was fire. When he did this to her, she felt like a livewire, like she might actually burst into flames, or maybe he was going to kill her with pleasure—either option was fine as long as he kept doing what he was doing.

“Shit, Richard. Always eating without me.”

She rolled her head, getting a nice upside-down view of Seth. Beads of water dripped down the expanse of muscled, tawny bare skin, tracking down to the worn motel towel wrapped around his waist. Her eyes moved back to his abdomen, approving of the patch-job done with the gauze bandage, and then shifted back to the thick black tribal flames tattooed up the length of his arm.

Richie’s lips came off her with a soft pop. “Must be feeling better if you can make wisecracks.”

She shut her eyes. “Oh, god.”

He pushed a second finger inside her. Kate reached down, twisting her fingers into his hair. Pressure and a pinch of pain zipped through her lower body as her core stretched.

“Ooh,”

“All this moaning sounds like we’re making a goddamn porno flick in here.” Seth closed the bathroom door behind him and stalked toward his bag. “And if it were one, it would be called _The Instructor: Richie schools Kate.”_

Air caught in her throat, while she gasped for more. He pursed his lips around her clit again, sucking and teasing the fleshy little bead with his tongue. Her body responded to him, without hesitation. It took minimal effort for him to work her up to the verge of release.

Seth padded across the room again, stopping between the beds. Watching. “He’s really good at that, isn’t he?” His dark eyes locked on hers. “It’s fucking weird.”

Richie raised his freehand from her hip, to flip off his brother.

Seth chuckled.

“Ooh,” all the air left her lungs as Richie turned it up a notch. “Oh, Sweet Jesus!”

“You’re welcome.” Seth leaned over her. “Don’t say I never gave you anything.”

The twisting and tightening of her stomach muscles increased, pushing her closer, racing to a perfect crescendo.

When she came, Kate cried out without restraint. She couldn't hold it in. Her entire body tightened and seized as a powerful orgasm wracked her. She clenched, shuddering against his face. She felt every pop and fizz preceding the rushing endorphins. His name came out of her mouth like a Gregorian chant. Richie lapped at the moisture on her thighs, biting into her skin, and scraping his cheek against the tender flesh.

She sagged into the mattress and, for the first time, really understood what romance writers meant when they used the word ‘boneless’ to describe how the heroine felt in the aftermath. _No wonder people get addicted to sex…_ Kate lifted her head again, peering down at him. He had never done it like _that_ before. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand, never taking his eyes off her.

He had to be hard as a rock.

“For the record,” Richie said. “I have no objection to you joining in, whenever you feel the urge.”

A mental picture of wearing both men like a sandwich board zipped through her head and she filed it away for later.

He held her gaze. “I’d just like to make your first time semi-normal.”

“So you can't take credit for making me some depraved sexual deviant?”

“No.” He smiled, levering up and stretching out beside her. “Because you deserve at least that much.”

Just when she thought she had him pegged, he would say the last thing she expected to hear. Kate rolled onto her side, pressing into him. Her fingers fluttered down his chest, down to his groin. She pushed her fingers under the elastic band of his boxers, this time without hesitation, and wrapped her hand around his rigid shaft. He was thicker than she thought he’d be, her fingers barely fit around him. She tried to measure him with her fist, but couldn’t gauge it. She needed to see it. They had never really been in a position where she could see _him_. Her thumb teased around the silky head. “What about you? What can I do for you?”

“I can wait.”

“I appreciate you trying to break me in easy, Richie, I do. But wouldn't it be better to just do it and get the hard part over with?” And by _hard part_ she meant the associated pain. Just because she had been a relatively good girl is up to that point, didn't make her stupid. When her friends back in Bethel talked about sex—she had listened.

“I think we’re going to have to teach you a lesson about patience.”

She tightened her fingers around the root of his shaft and he swelled a little more in her hand. “Will I be naked when we do that?”

“Yes,” came out of his mouth, hoarse and from the back of his throat. His large hand closed over hers, stopping her stroke.

“And here all this time I thought you were the one with no self control.”

“I can control myself…sometimes.”

“It works so much better,” grumbled Seth as he dressed himself, “when there aren’t supernatural demonic hell bitches in your fucking head.”

No argument there. Kate managed to roll into a sitting position. “How much time do we have?”

“Enough,” Seth answered. He nodded toward the bathroom, knowing exactly why she asked. “Go ahead, water’s still warm.”

She stood up and instantly regretted it. Her legs were gelatin, barely useable. Kate shed the tank top and bra and unzipped the skirt, letting it fall to the floor as she made her way to the bathroom. She shut the door and leaned on the sink to steady herself.

Was it wrong to not choose between brothers? She wanted different things from both of them. Kate stared in the mirror, feeling so many things all at once. She climbed into the shower and turned the water on, relaxing under the warm stream.

When she finished in the bathroom, as per _Gecko,_ they were fighting.

She had heard them as soon as she turned the water off. The bickering quickly grew into an argument, which turned into a full on fight. Kate meant to interrupt them when she opened the bathroom door, but something in the way they were looking at each other stopped her. They were fighting over her…

It wasn't a competition. She wasn't a prize to be won.

Seth had picked this fight. She could tell by the way Richie stood, by the way he held the tension in his shoulders.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot. There’s only enough room for one gigantic fucking ego in this place—”

“That’s right. _Mine_ ,” Seth growled. “And don't you fucking forget it, you selfish piece of shit. Don't think I can’t see exactly what you’re doing here, Richard.”

They always had the same fight, with a different prompt at the beginning. No matter what started it, it always circled back to the way Richie busted Seth out of the prison transfer, then the botched heist in Abilene, and then the kidnapping of her family and the two year Mexican hell-ride that damn near killed them all.

Seth liked to put everything on Richie, but that wasn't fair. They all had roles in that particular play.

“You are so up your own ass right now.”

Seth bristled, “I’m up my own ass?”

“What the hell is your problem?”

“Yeah, gee, I don't know. I don't have any problems. I’m not the one banging a confused teenager fucking senseless.”

“We are not _banging_.” The way he enunciated the word made him sound offended and Kate perked up a little. “It’s not like that—”

“Oh, really? Then tell me what it’s like, Richard. You can’t keep that goddamn tent pole in your pants.”

He didn't bite at that. “I’m only going to say this once, Seth… Stop. Now. Whatever problems you have with me—fine. But you leave Kate out of it. You want her just as bad as I do and don't you dare pretend you don't know what I’m talking about. Whatever has you so worked up doesn't have a fucking thing to do with her anyway.”

“It has everything to do with her.”

“No,” Richie said. “This shit is about you and me. Always has been.”

Seth picked his brother to fight with, because no matter what they said to each other, or who hit whom first, they would still be thick as thieves at the end of it. They used each other as an outlet for aggression. She didn't think that was particularly healthy, just what they did.

“Alright, that’s the way you wanna play this? Yeah. Yes. I have a very big fucking problem with you.”

Seth’s back was to her, she faced Richie, but neither of them saw her. They reminded her of large cats, leopards or panthers, torn between mauling each other to shreds, or a dominating mating dance. For a fight, the vibe was strangely sexual. Territorial. Possessive.

They exchanged barbs, back and forth. She had been far too busy ogling them to hear the last few insults, but the argument escalated quickly. Richie removed his glasses and _that_ was the moment she chose to step into the room.

“Would you two knock it off already?”

He grumbled, glancing back at her, before quickly returning his attention to Richie. “Stay out of it Kate.”

“No.”

Seth turned back toward her.

“There’s no point in staying out of it, I’m here. I can hear everything you say.”

“Oh, well pardon me all to hell.”

_God, he’s jealous, isn’t he?_ Was she supposed to like that? Because she did… At least, this time things weren’t going to end in fisticuffs. Seth had tried hard to get a rise out of him, but Richie wasn't taking the bait. Neither man had moved. Electricity crackled between them, she knew there wasn't a woman alive that could come between that—not even her.

“I’ve had enough of your chest beating, brother. Talk to me again when you can be rational.” He picked up the pack of _Red Apple’s_ and his lighter from the table and walked past them both, toward the bathroom.

“Rational? That's a laugh coming from you. Where the fuck do you think you’re going? We’re not done.”

“Yes, we are. I’m exercising my ability to turn the other cheek. You’re being an asshole.”

Kate stared at Seth. It was clear from his facial expressions that the argument continued in his head, without Richie. He whipped his jacket off the back of the chair. “I’m gonna assume that mumbo-jumbo is something he learned from you, because my brother doesn't even know what those words mean.”

“He knows a lot more than you give him credit for.”

“You know what, he doesn't need you to defend him.” Seth stormed out, without a backward glance.

The door slammed hard, rattling through the room. Kate turned in the direction of the bathroom. Richie had left the door cracked. She hated when the brothers fought, but when it was about her, she also found it incredibly thrilling.

She slipped back into the bathroom.

His large, half clothed frame looked awkward perched on the rim of the tub, but he obviously didn't care. Flame sparked to life. A tendril of smoke curled into the air as he lit a fresh cigarette. Richie scooted over, making room for her to sit and patted the porcelain.

Kate sat down in the offered space.

His gaze flicked away from the floor and settled on her, memorizing her with an intimidating sweep. “You are a beautiful young woman, Kate… maybe he’s right.”

“No he isn’t.” She set a hand on his leg.

“Maybe we should end _this_ before it gets too heavy? You shouldn't be fantasizing about your own personal version of _9 1/2 Weeks_ …not with me. I do what I have to, to survive and that's never going to change. I can’t change what I am. I’m a Culebra. I work in the dark. I intentionally seek out dark souls. There will always be danger, bad guys and worse guys. My life is always going to be—”

She stopped him. “Nobody is asking you to change and I can make my own choices, Richard. Thank you very much. If I wanted to stop, believe me, I would tell you… Seth likes to forget that I’m nineteen now. I’m not that scared little seventeen-year-old girl you first met. I have no illusions about you or how you live your life. I’ve seen who you are and not all of it is bad.”

“Some of it is bad… a lot of it, actually.”

“Shut up, Richard.” She did her best impersonation of Seth and he didn't even crack a smile. “Whether I’m with you or not, there will always be bad guys. That’s not exclusive to you, you know. That’s how people are. Things are never black and white, or good and bad. There are many shades of gray in between. You don't have to be only one thing. Being a Culebra doesn't define who you are.” She let her hand glide up his thigh. “You know as well as anybody how much trouble he’s had dealing with it all, but he loves us. That love has never waivered. He loves _you_ and he just wants you to be okay.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“I know.” Her hand stopped at his hip flexor, resting there, and Richie didn't stop her touch this time. “He knows it too. Its just his fear.”

“Seth isn’t afraid of anything.”

“Only losing you again.”

“He’s not going to lose me.” Richie snubbed out his cigarette on the shower tile. “Neither are you… I get it. I mean we’ve dealt with some heavy shit, as far as fears go. We’ve been to hell and back. Literally. I will do anything, Kate, to keep the both of you out of that pit.”

“That’s part of the problem.”

“What?”

“You think you’re indestructible, it scares him… it scares me, sometimes. You have this immortality, but that doesn't mean you can’t be hurt, Richie. You _can_ die…and the next time, it might stick.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The way he said it made her believe him.

She leaned toward him, slanting her lips over his. He kissed her back for a minute. Richie cupped her jaw, with his left hand, and gently broke the kiss.

“Kate…” her mouth hovered above his.

She turned her face into his palm, grazing it with her teeth, and then kissing the spot where his _eye_ manifested. Pushing against his grip, she lunged for his mouth again. This time, there was no resistance from him. He pulled her in flush against his chest, kissing her desperately.

 

###

 

He didn't really mean to start a fight. Seth just couldn't stop himself. He couldn't even pinpoint what it was that upset him. That wasn't the first time they fooled around. He knew foreplay had been happening for weeks, maybe months, and he didn't think twice about it. He knew it had grown into more when they checked into the first motel that didn't have a rollout bed and instead of making a fuss Kate just snuggled up with Richie.

But seeing it like that—seeing her like that made it different. It gnawed at him… _Jealousy. God, am I jealous?_

Kate was not seventeen anymore and Richie was not the big bad wolf trying to eat her on the way to grandmothers house. Sometimes he struggled to remember that. _Legal_. She was old enough and fully capable of making her own choice.

Maybe he wanted her to still be that little girl? If she was still seventeen then that might mean the mess of the last two years hadn’t happened. It would mean they hadn’t destroyed her life and her family. But it did happen. He figured the guilt from that would be something he carried around for the rest of his life. That kid had been through more than any person should ever be asked to go through at such a young age. If she wanted to lose herself in his brother who the hell was he to stop her?

The thing was—he liked them together. He had accepted the idea of them a long time ago. He wanted Richie to have that kind of interaction with someone, the normal human bullshit he’d never been able to have with anyone else. Kate was good for the whackjob. She didn't even have to say words. Her mere presence mellowed him out.

Maybe he was jealous of that, too? She gave Richie something he couldn't.

He had been standing under the weak ass spray of water in the shower, lathering up when he heard her first deep moan. And he could tell, even standing in another room, she was close to coming. _Hard_. He could hear it in the undertones of her voice. Her panting was steady and constant, like a metronome measuring out a beat. He knew exactly what Richie was capable of, it wasn't the first time he had listened to him make a chick squeal like that—and sometimes he watched. But this wasn't some random chick. _It was Kate_.

Seth paced the parking lot for a while. It didn't help him cool down at all.

He really had been an asshole and he needed to go back into that room and apologize to her for being such a jealous, grade-A prick.

Kate didn't have to say a word. He knew she was there before he even turned around. “Where is he?”

“In the shower."

“Good, we should get going soon.” Kate was beautiful. Her drying dark hair tousled, sweet little face had a nice rosy flush, those plump lips were kiss-swollen and moist, and the hint of skin peeking out of her t-shirt was reddened—from friction, he guessed. “Look,” he scrubbed a hand down his face. “I was out of line. Whatever voodoo he’s working on you…I don't have a problem with you, or the two of you doing…whatever you’re doing. I love you and that idiot in there more than anything in this world. I would do anything for you. You know that.” He took a breath.” I’m a fucking jerk.”

“Yeah you are,” she said.

“Watch it.”

Kate closed in on him. She wrapped her arms around his middle, carefully avoiding his wound, and pressed a kiss low on his cheek. “He loves you.”

“I know.”

“And I love your jerkass, too.”

“I know.” His dark eyes found hers, bright and unusually green. “And he’s right about the _firsts,_ too _._ Trying to…give you something more normal.”

She smiled.

“He'll give you the goddamn world, if you let him.”

It was clear from her recent behavior that she had made a decision about which of them she wanted to be with, and he still wondered, even as she rocked up on her tiptoe to knock him a little kiss, when she had made that decision?

“Don't you dare tell him I said that he’s right.”

She was no longer the innocent do-good preacher’s daughter. She would never be that girl again, not that he could blame her for that. “I won’t—” Her soft lips caught his, playful and easy. “—Now,” she smacked him on the cheek, “go apologize to your brother for picking a fight.”

He nipped at her bottom lip. “Do I have to?”

“We’re not leaving until you do.”

 

...


	5. Stick to the Plan, Stan

 

 

With the sun low in the sky, Richie exited the motel room. He felt good, more like himself than he had in months. He rubbed a hand down his front, giving the crisp, clean white shirt a final tuck, and then buttoned the top button of his jacket. He slid a hand against the side of his head, smoothing the fresh pomade in his hair. Then, he pulled his glasses from his pocket and, with a soft cloth, cleaned the lenses. 

Kate stood in the parking lot. He found her leaning against the car and ambled over. She had on a plain t-shirt and the jeans that hugged her ass in the most glorious way, nothing particularly special, but she still managed to look enticing.

“Did it hurt?”

A smile curled across her lips. “Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from Heaven.”

She sucked her teeth and exhaled audibly. “I don't know…did it hurt you?”

His lips pursed into an amused smirk. Richie tucked the cleaning cloth into his pocket and pushed the horn-rimmed glasses onto his face. “What?”

“When you broke through the Earth’s crust ascending from Hell.”

He leaned down, placing a hand on either side of the trunk, around her petite frame. “A little bit.”

The honey almond of her shampoo enveloped him, sweet and clean. It sent him right back into the haze of lust they had settled into. At some point she had developed this habit of wrapping her limbs around him like a vine and he liked it. She felt so good beneath him.

Laughter bubbled through her, spilling out into the air between them. He felt that Kate should always be laughing, always smiling.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah.” He nuzzled her nose with his. “You didn't have to play referee, but I’m glad you did.” Richie pressed a soft, dry kiss to her mouth. He did not get enough of her. How could he? “Seth wants to hit a diner on the way out of town.”

“Who robs a diner?”

“To eat, Kate,” he laughed.

“Oh!” she nodded against him. “That _is_ a good idea, an excellent idea. I think the Gummy Bears were the last thing I ate.”

“He also made some other arrangements.” Richie lowered his voice, “He wants to head back to Mexico, after we fence the diamonds.”

“I thought we were going to El Paso?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “He thinks Val might put us up for a day or two and help us cross the border unnoticed.”

“Mexico?” was all she said. But her repetition of the country name came with a weight and heaviness of it’s own.

“If you don't want to go back there, I understand—”

She shook her head. “You go, I go.”

“Hey, Asshole!” called Seth from across the parking lot. “Making the guy with the stitched up gunshot wound carry all the goddamn bags is more than a little fucked up.”

They shared an amused grin and, together, pushed off the car to go help him.

 

###

 

Bells above the door jingled as they crossed the threshold. _The Hawthorne Grill_ was classic mid-century modern diner—a retro 50’s joint with a mid-80’s upgrade. The threadbare, diamond-patterned teal carpet and faded red leather booths showed their age. The place was a jumble of Formica, Stainless Steel, and large bay windows. Kate moved past the counter, leading them toward a booth in the middle of the diner. She sat down beneath the hiss of the neon signage hanging in the large window. 

Seth went to make the contact phone call.

Richie slid into the booth, beside her. He had grown increasingly clingy after the tiff with Seth and she liked that. Encouraged it.

“Hi there,” said the robust older woman appearing from behind the swinging kitchen doors. “Sorry about the wait, kids.”

“Not a problem.”

She set another cup and saucer down in front of Kate, along with neat napkin rolls of utensils, and offered them menus. She took the menu, but had already made up her mind. She wanted pancakes.

“Do you need a few minutes or do you know what you want?”

“I think we’re ready…” Richie ordered for all three of them, because he knew exactly what they wanted.

Kate flipped the coffee cups over and pushed one in front of him, she turned the cup at Seth’s place setting over as well.

“You want some creamer for your coffee, Darlin’?”

“Please.”

They were quiet as the waitress poured coffee. Kate watched the brown liquid swirl around the bottom of her cup. That was how she felt about the prospect of returning to Mexico, that path was a giant dark swish backwards. Their waitress turned and grabbed a dish of creamers from another table, setting it down in front of Richie. Then she left them alone.

She watched him bring the cup to his lips and take a small sip. Kate wondered if he could even taste it, or if that sense had been heightened as well.

“Richie…”

“Hmm,” he gave her his undivided attention, turning his whole torso toward her.

“If we’re really going back to Mexico… I don't want to wait anymore.”

He didn’t need a translation. The dilation of his pupils communicated everything she needed to know. “Are you sure?”

The clear longing and need on his face mirrored hers. “All these bad things keep happening. I don't want to go back to Mexico and all that comes with it…risk my life, die again without—”

“Without punching your v-card?”

“Don’t say it like that.”

He leaned closer, eye level with her. “You want me to sleep with you, so, if anything happens when we go back to Mexico, you won’t die a virgin. _Again_.”

“Well, no, not when you say it like that—” He actually looked hurt and she couldn't do anything but fidget. It had not sounded that way in her head at all. “Richie, I’m saying…I want to be with _you_ , before something else happens and I never have the chance.”

He settled back into the booth. “You’re gonna change your mind.”

“No, I won’t and I want it to be the next thing we do, like tonight.”

“Tonight?”

She nodded.

“Say the words, Kate.”

She pressed her lips to his ear to whisper, “Make love to me, Richard.”

Seth swept back into the diner with an actual smile on his face. He flashed all 100-watts at the waitress and batted those long, dark eyelashes. She flushed and giggled, flirting back. He even took one of the plates she had been carrying out to them. Kate tried not to roll her eyes. But she envied the way he carried on with strange older women. They ate up his charm and good looks, having no real idea of his true nature or interests. Somewhere along the way she had lost the capacity for simple mindless conversation. It was easy for him. He was the opposite of his brother, who had no people skills whatsoever.

Kate smiled at the waitress.

After she left, Seth revealed the details of his phone call. The rendezvous point was a spot near the El Paso airport, close to Val’s bar. They had roughly a three-hour drive ahead of them, then 90 minutes to get to the airport for the meet. He wanted to get their early, so they could scope things out. They would have to skip the appraisal. But, as long as nothing happened on the drive, they would have plenty of time.

Richie silently passed his brother the hot sauce and he doused the cubed potatoes in puddles of the stuff. Seth ate, happily dicing and stabbing syrupy pancakes and scrambled eggs, creating perfect little bites.

The prospect of returning to Mexico rattled her to the core. Kate picked at the fruit on her plate, unsure how to express the way she felt sitting with them in that diner, just sharing a meal. She did not want to lose this, not again.

Seth devoured almost half his breakfast, before glancing up at them. “I think we should go to the meet, before the bar.” He swallowed, speaking more to Richie than to her. “I don't wanna show up at Val’s and leave, and then have to come back again. It could raise too many fucking questions.”

He agreed. “But—”

“But what, Richard?”

“Kate,” he said. “Maybe it would be better to leave her with Val, instead of walking her into Dahl’s warehouse.”

“No! You are not dumping me off somewhere,” she said. “I’m going with you and that’s the end of it.”

That _was_ the end of it; neither of them mentioned it again.

After breakfast, they headed out of Pecos.

The trip to El Paso was long and, blessedly, uneventful. She had to pee for the last 45 minutes, but Seth refused to stop, insisting that she could hold it until they reached the airport. She barely made it. They stopped at a gas station, and with their history in convenience stores, she made them both wait in the fucking car.

Seth followed the intricate directions he got from his contact, which led to a large, dark warehouse almost directly across the way from the airstrip. It looked deserted, but they all knew better.

“I don't like this.” 

Richie didn't say anything right away, but she could tell he didn't like the look of things either. When he did speak, it was to her. “Are you sure you wanna go in there?”

 

...


	6. Diamond Mining

 

 

Emerging from the darkness like a proper arch-villain, Black Market dealer, Ravi Dahl and his $3000 suit shuffled toward the conference table at the end of the warehouse. There, the three of them had been seated at gunpoint, with their own fucking guns. The attaché case lay on the table in front of them, thus far, untouched. 

They got jumped as soon as they stepped through the fucking door. Neither of them were harmed, just disarmed and herded into the warehouse like sheep.

The man’s slight frame didn't lessen the intimidation factor any. His dark beady eyes focused on them as he straightened his tie and gave his hair—an obvious toupee—a pat. He was a caricature, like a fucked up version of _the most interesting man in the world_ and he played the part as if it were his own creation. He couldn't have been any more cliché smarmy bad guy if he tried.

“Los Hermanos Gecko.” His lecherous gaze shifted to Kate. “And friend?”

The pace of her heart amped, it rang in his ears like a goddamn drum. He stole a glance at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Richie looked back to Dahl, eyeing the silver plated ring circled around his pinky finger. Dual skulls formed a heart shape, like a mirror image splitting from each other, Siamese skulls with brilliant crystal eyes. His trademark. A brand. Whenever Dahl was involved, the skulls appeared. He wore them. His people wore them. He stamped them on all of his shit.

“May I interest either of you a beverage?”

He and Seth spoke in unison, “No.”

“Too bad,” he motioned to the shelving behind him. “I’ve prepared something very special for this occasion.” A row of gleaming yellow Vodka bottles lined the shelf above the utility table, each with a reptile distilled inside. _Lizards_. There were a few with scorpions and hairy spiders too. “The one on the end I had made just for you, Richard.”

The larger, rounded whisky bottle he pointed at held a coiled dead baby Cobra inside, fermented with the grain alcohol. He had heard of such a thing—supposedly an Asian aphrodisiac—but he’d never actually seen one. This, however, was not passion potion. This was a message, a death threat and an acknowledgement of his Culebra status all rolled into one.

He glanced at his brother, attempting to silently indicate that he could vamp out and take these motherfuckers out in one swoop. They could walk out of here with the jewels and diamonds and all the money. Seth shot him a warning look, flaring nostrils and eyebrows. He translated the expression to mean: _Don't do anything stupid, you fuck!_

Richie felt the urge to move rising.

Kate finally looked at him, when Dahl turned his back and slowly paced the length of the table. Memories of the last time they were in a similar situation flooded him; the last time he didn't sit down and shut the fuck up she ended up with two bullets in her back. This time, he wasn't going to take that risk and she wasn't going to try and run. He shut his eyes and attempted to restrain himself. His fangs dropped and pierced his tongue, drawing out the familiar coppery fluid.

“I must admit my disappointment, I had hoped to hear from you boys yesterday, but you let my calls and messages go unanswered. That does not please me.”

“We ran into a little…trouble,” offered Seth, as calmly as he could manage.

“Yes,” he said. “I’ve heard all about that. My people are efficient. From what I understand, you narrowly escaped with your lives, Mr. Gecko.”

Dahl nodded to the man behind them, who placed an almost identical black attaché case on the table beside theirs. The man released the clasps and lifted the lid.

He heard Kate’s breath catch in her throat, knowing it was more money than she had ever seen in her life. He heard Seth swallow hard, that was his only reaction to the briefcase full of cash.

“I’m sure it’s more time than you deserve.”

He glared at the goon beside him, the slime pointing his own fucking gun at his face. _Efficient._ He didn't look efficient. He looked like an asshole. Heat and anger bubbled through him, and he reacted without another thought. He swept an arm out, catching the guy square in the gut. As he doubled over in pain and surprise, Richie yanked his Colt out of the man’s hand and slapped him with it. “Efficient maybe,” he rocked the hammer back, cocking his gun. “But they’re fucking slow.” He stood, training the barrel on the jerk behind Kate. “If you value your life in any way, you will point that fucking gun at anyone but her.”

The goon shifted aim to his brother.

Richie hissed, “Shit.”

“Goddamn it, Richard!” Seth grumbled, taking his cue.

He pulled the same move with the asshole currently in possession of his weapon. The guy swung at him. His brother dodged and weaved and managed to wrestle his gun back from Dahl’s guy. Seth kneed the guy in the gut, and then used him as a shield in case the third man fired.

“Gentleman, all of this is unnecessary.”

“You wanna talk about unnecessary?” Richie swung his arm around, aiming at the fucking mop on top of Dahl’s head. He grabbed the case with the jewels. “What happened to a simple fucking trade? All of this is fucking unnecessary… Kate,”

She stood up, close to him, and took the jewel case. Richie shut the lid of the case with the money and fisted the handle. Seth tossed the man in his grip halfway across the room and closed the space between them, keeping Kate in the middle, and pointed his gun at the other guy.

The old Indian grinned, in a deeply menacing way. He called off his men. “Gentleman, don't be offended. You were dead men, I just needed to make sure it was really you.”

“So, this was a fucking test?”

Dahl waved his arms at them. “And you pass.”

“Can I please shoot him now?” asked Richie.

Seth whipped his head toward him. “Yes.” Then, he swung an arm back, bashing the third man in the face with his balled fist, as hard as he did in a boxing ring. The guy dropped with a thud. He turned his gun on Dahl, as well.

“Richie,” the hesitation laced through Kate’s voice stayed his hand, she curled her fingers into the lapel of his jacket. He looked down at her, while she stared up.

He followed her sightline. Six more, well-armed guys stepped out from the rafters, moving from the darkness into the light.

“Fuck.”

“So, Gentleman, where were we?”

Neither of them took their guns off Dahl. “Are we really gonna make a deal with _Hans Gruber,_ over here?”

“Don't see what choice we have, at the moment, Richard.”

Slowly, Kate leaned forward. She set the attaché case back on the table and rolled out the combination. The clasps popped open with a soft click.

This certainly was not going the way he had imagined. They were going to roll up on these assholes and make the trade, all this mysterious bad guy shit left a nasty taste in his mouth. But what else could he expect from a desperate guy who was trying to rebuild his lost reputation?

“Please, show me the diamonds, Miss.”

Her fingers grazed over several pieces, Richie watched her finger the snake again. For a split second, he thought she might try to palm it. Kate picked up the black velvet satchel and pulled the strings. The thunder of her heartbeat was in direct contradiction to the cool and calm exterior she presented. Richie was glad he was the only one who could hear it. She carefully dumped them into a small pile on the table.

“Thank you, darling. No jewels more becoming to a lady…”

Kate’s expression pinched into a smirk of disbelief, and then a full on grimace. A swell of pride moved through him. Richie almost laughed out loud at her disgust.

Dahl tucked a jeweler’s loupe to his eye and carefully picked one of the larger stones, examining it.

“Good. Are we finished here?” Seth asked. “Because I’m gonna tell you what happens next. You’re going to keep those goddamn rocks and all those shiny baubles, and my brother, the girl, and myself are going to leave with the money. If you have a problem with that, now is the time.”

“I still wanna shoot him.”

“Richie,” snapped Seth. “Shut it.”

He waved his men off, for the second time. “You are welcome to leave, Mr. Gecko.”

“Excellent,” Seth pushed Kate toward him, moving to keep her secure between them. One of the goons still had her gun. They didn't have time to get it back. If he could have, Richie would have pulled the piece from his ankle holster out for her. “Then we’ll be on our way. It was a pleasure. Hope we never meet again.”

“And if any of your people follow us, I will _eat_ them.”

“Fair enough, Richard.” Dahl nodded.

With their guns still drawn, they made it out of the warehouse and back out to the car. He let them leave? Why? Richie had a feeling they would be seeing that clown again… They climbed into the front seat, all three of them. Seth started the car, threw it into gear, and slammed his foot down on the pedal. He exhaled a harsh breath and unbuttoned his jacket.

“Oh Jesus,” Kate breathed, “Seth!”

Blood saturated the full front of his shirt.

“It’s fine,” he grunted. “Probably popped a stitch wrestling with that jackass.”

 

...


	7. Valerie Vega

 

 

“Sonofabitch! It’s just fucking stitches.” Seth hunched over the steering wheel in the parking lot of _Val’s Bar_ , clutching his abdomen. “This just gets better and better." 

It hurt. It hurt so much worse than it did before. It hurt worse than actually getting shot.

“Breathe, Seth… It’ll be okay. Daddy always used to say God never gives a person more than they can handle—”

“Yeah, we’ll he’s got a fucked up way of deciding where that line is.”

“I find that quote mildly ironic, coming from you, Kate. Considering.” Richie pushed the door open and climbed out. He rounded the car and pulled the driver’s side door out. “Hey brother,” he mumbled, climbing in. “Almost there, then you can have a beer. Relax.”

Richie yanked his shirt open, sending buttons flying.

“If you keep ripping my shirts like that, people are gonna start talking.”

Those blue eyes pinned him with an annoyed glare as he jerked the tape off, ripping it from his skin. Pain shot across this abdomen, as if he had pulled the ripcord holding it all back.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Richard!”

His brother tossed the thick square of bloody gauze away. Every single stitch had ripped. The wound was an angry mass of congealed blood and twisted black strings.

“It’s infected. You need a doctor and meds.”

“We don't need that.”

“Whiskey isn’t going to fix this. You need antibiotics, dickhead.” He looked up. “Kate, can you do something for me?”

“Is that rhetorical or do you expect an answer?”

“Smart ass.” He smirked. “Go inside and ask for Val. Tell her who you are, tell her to come out here. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Don't make promises you can’t keep,” Seth grumbled, sweat beaded across his forehead. An agonizing ache had developed across his entire midsection.

Both Kate’s eyebrows shot up. “What does that mean?”

It meant he wasn't sure the woman would actually be willing to help them, but he didn't tell either one of them that. “It doesn't mean anything,” Seth waved off his previous comment. “Look, we’ll all go—I gotta get in there anyway, right? The less fuss the better.”

Richie helped him out of the car and Kate took off across the parking lot, ahead of them to go find Val.

 

###

 

She stopped just inside the doorway, immediately distracted by an uninhibited burst of female laughter. A full-bodied, vibrant howl chased by a throaty giggle. Kate couldn't even remember the last time she had belly-laughed like that…

A delicate, tawny finger tapped the edge of her lashes—a perfect sweep of winged eyeliner and soft smoky eye, topped with big, bold lashes that kissed the top of her cheekbones as they fluttered closed.

The way she stood behind the bar wasn't merely to prop her petite skeleton upright. It was an _attitude_. The girl made slow, graceful hand gestures. She shifted of weight from one foot to the other, easily holding the attention of her male patrons. She made slight fidgets or primps when she thought no one was looking. And she smiled, exuding a relentlessly cheerful persona. She laughed out loud and never considered whether it was appropriate. When she spoke, the words were slow and deliberate, as if she had all the time in the world. It was like a sigh and whisper, reserved just for the person she spoke to, followed by a tilt of her head, rustling the long, heavily teased raven waves coiling past her shoulders. A smudge of red still clung to her lips, but the majority of it now rimmed her glass.

Silver glinted on the mahogany. Kate’s gaze shifted to it automatically. The woman unclasped the case and pinched a cigarette between her fingertips, bringing it to her lips with a cat-like essence she had observed somewhere before. She didn't light the cigarette right away. The stick clung to her bottom lip while she fumbled her lighter through another roar of laughter.

An image of Richie standing poolside in the courtyard of the Dew Drop Inn, on the day they met, ticked through her mind. _He lit his cigarette and then hers…_

Jesus _._ The chick lit her cigarettes the same way he lit his.

She turned her head, toward Kate. “Hey sugar, what can I getcha?”

Kate felt stupid asking, because she _knew_ the woman standing in front of her was the woman he asked her to find. It was a gutting sense of déjà vu stepping into a nowhere bar and searching out one particular woman… “I’m looking for Val?”

“You found her.”

Before she had to explain who she was or why she’d come, Richie dragged Seth through the door behind her.

“Ho. Ly. Shit.” She swept out from behind the bar, all signs of laughter disappeared like the tendrils of cigarette smoke. “Heard you motherfuckers were dead?”

“Long story.”

“Very. Long.”

Val sauntered toward them, taking in the haggard state of the elder brother. The sheer, weather-inappropriate, long-sleeved, white shirtdress she wore fluttered around her. “You look like shit, baby.”

“Yeah, well…” he let his gaze drag up her curves. “You look amazing.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Seth Gecko.”

She shifted her eyes to Richie, but said nothing to him. Kate gaped at her, openly, and unable to stop herself.

Up close, her eyes were hazel—more green than brown—and the lashes were fake, but flawlessly applied. She smelled like vanilla, like cake. Val pinched her thumb and forefinger softly around Kate’s jaw, turning her head to look at her face. “Pretty girl,” her voice stayed light and airy. “What the hell are you doing with these clowns?”

Richie shifted Seth. “We need your help.”

“I can see that, _big boy_.”

Kate bristled at the endearment and at the implication that went with it.

“Come on, bring him back here, before all that blood scares my customers away.” She moved past them, leading them to a back room of the bar, through a fringe of dangly beads.

Kate glanced at Richie, expecting to find him hypnotized by the creature in front of them. Relief flooded her when her eyes met his. She took Seth’s dangling arm and roped it over her shoulder—as if she made any difference in the weight baring.

They took him back to a small, cramped room behind the bar’s kitchen facility. It was little more than a glorified storeroom, but it had a cot, and access to clean water.

Val lifted a black, corded telephone off a wall unit—an actual, real hardline phone. She punched digits and waited patiently for the caller to answer.

“I didn't know they still made those,” Seth quipped.

“I don't think they do, baby."

Richie let his brother slump onto the cot, which made Seth groan in pain, and then he straightened out his large frame.

“Don’t go to any trouble, I’m fine, Val—really.” Seth said. “I just need to rest for a minute and maybe some aspirin.”

“I’ll find you some baby aspirin,” offered Richie.

“Fuck you.”

“Hey,” Val said into the receiver. “Can you send Doc down? I know it’s late. Tell him I’m in need of his very discrete services. Thanks, baby.” She turned back to them. “Honey, what you need is a drink.”

Seth nodded. “I would love a drink.”

“Be right back.” Val drifted out of the room, with a smoothness that made her appear to float. “Doc will be here in two shakes of lambs tail.”

Richie followed her out.

“No, no, no,” Seth shook his head and pointed. “Don’t let him piss her off. Go. Stop him! Stop him now, Kate. Whatever you gotta do.”

She shuffled out the door, tailing the younger Gecko. They were stopped just inside the bar, him standing at the corner, and her behind it preparing a double whiskey.

“Don't worry about your brother, he’ll be well cared for.”

Kate sidled up to him. Richie absently swept a hand across her shoulders, tangling his fingers into the ends of her hair. The touch did not go unnoticed by Val, as evidenced by the playful look she shot Kate.

“What do you know about this guy?”

“He does good work, my brothers use him—used,” a pang of emotion played across her face. “They used him all the time.”

Her answer was good enough for Richie. He lowered himself onto a barstool, cutting their height difference to nearly eyelevel. He pulled his glasses off his face, wiping sweat from his skin.

“Now Richard,” she leaned on the mahogany, pushing another tumbler full of dark amber liquid toward him. “How old is your sweet little thang here? Is she old enough to even be in my bar?”

Kate half-expected him to actually lie, but he didn't. “Almost.” He ran his hand down her spine to the small of her back, sending a shudder through her body. “I’m sorry, Kate, meet Valerie Vega. Val, Kate Fuller. The Preacher’s daughter.”

“Oh my Lord, you found Jesus!” laughed Val.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“I will drink to that!” She clinked glasses with him and took a sip of the whiskey straight she had prepared for Seth. “Ha. Good for you… I’m gonna take this back to the beefcake.” Val touched Kate’s hand. “Do me a favor, baby, put on some heavy makeup while you’re in my joint. It’ll make ya look a little older—and make less questions for me.”

She agreed and Val left them.

“Why did you do that?”

He cocked his head. “What?”

“Introduce me that way?”

“It’s the truth.”

“Yeah, but—” she shifted her weight between her legs.

He interrupted, taking her hand. “I just thought it would put her at ease. Let her know she doesn't have to worry about some wild, underage girl in her bar.”

She supposed that made sense. “Val would have figured that out by getting to know me a little bit.”

“We don't have that kind of time, Kate.” Richie teased her fingers with his own. “I didn't mean it as a slight…its actually something I like about you, one of the many things.”

She raised her eyes to his, slowly, and held the increasingly heated stare. “I should probably change clothes too, to look older.”

“Do you still have that sheer pink blouse?” Richie pressed a finger into the space between her breasts. “The one where the buttons start right here.”

“I might. But I thought you didn't like that shirt?”

“It’s revealing, of course I like it.”

“Your exact words, if I remember correctly, were _never wear that fucking shirt in public ever again_.”

“Not because I didn't like it.” He leaned in to her. “And put that little black skirt back on—no panties this time.”

She felt the heat creeping into her cheeks. “I…I can’t do that.”

“Yes you can. You can do whatever the hell you feel like.” Richie took a sip of the whiskey. “Perks of being an adult, Katie-cakes.”

“But I wore it yesterday, its wrinkled and probably _stained_.”

He nuzzled into her ear to whisper, “You won’t be wearing it long.”

Kate swallowed. The wisp of his breath on her ear felt like a magnetic charge, rippling down her back on a straight shot down to her core.

“Richie…”

He offered her the whiskey and she took a small sip.

“You remember what you said at the diner—that I’d change my mind?”

“Yes.”

Her stomach fluttered. “After the warehouse…I am determined.”

The corner of his mouth arched up into a wry smile. “I have a confession to make.”

“Oh,” she took a breath. “What’s that?”

“The way your heart is racing right now… _excites_ me.”

“So,” Val’s airy hum cut the building tension, but her delicateness didn't all together break it. “Doc’s here, we put Seth up in a room upstairs. I assume you’ll want to stay with him. So, the two of you can take the room across from the one he’s in. Key is on the nightstand.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing, darlin’.”

Richie left to go get their bags from the car and she went upstairs, first to check on Seth and, second, to change her outfit.

Doc wouldn't let her in the room while he tended Seth, so she made her way across the hall to the room. Val had assumed she and Richie were exclusive, and neither of them corrected her. It was safer to let her believe that, it saved time and some awkward explaining.

The bags were on the bed when Kate walked into the room. She inhaled the coppery tang of blood and cloying odor of burned tobacco, but Richie was not in there.

Kate dug through her bag. She quickly found the black skirt, but had to search a bit to find the thin pink blouse. She also took out her makeup bag and brush.

 

###

 

“Picking ‘em a little young these days, aren’t you, baby?”

Richie lipped a cigarette, considering the best way to answer her question, before he said anything aloud. “She’s no younger than you were.”

“I was a hellion desperate to ride with the bad boys, not the Preacher’s daughter.”

“You still are a hellion, from what I understand.” The soft, flowing hair and delicate looking shirtdress didn't fool him. Valerie Vega was a girly girl, but she could still beat a man to death if he glanced at her the wrong way. And, she would do it while wearing her pretty, frilly clothes. “Sorry about your brother.”

“Yeah, me too.” She leaned on the bar-top. “I suppose that's the risk you take in your line of work.”

And by work she meant _crime._ “Sometimes.”

He lifted his glass and she clinked hers against his, a silent toast to her fallen brothers.

She drained the remaining whiskey. “He made a terrible hitman anyway.” Val set the glass down on the mahogany. “I think Marcellus knew it too…he just kept him around because he trusted him.”

“Trust is hard to come by.”

Val nodded, leaving him there to tend to a few of her regulars.

Richie rapped his knuckles on the bar. That damn doctor wouldn't let him into his brother’s room. He was sure Seth would be fine, but he wanted to be fucking sure.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled with extreme awareness, he sensed her before he saw her. She leaned over his shoulder and pressed her lips to his cheek. Richie tilted his face toward her and pushed his mouth on hers. Kate flicked her tongue against his bottom lip and twisted into his arms. That allowed him to kiss her properly.

His fingers slid across her back, unhindered by the slinky pink fabric. He felt no bra. He dropped his hand to her hip, feeling the familiar tweed of the black skirt, and grunted with approval. The thump of her heart spiked as he pushed his hand lower, toward the hem.

“Richie—” she mumbled against his lips, wiggling away from his grasp.

“Just checking.”

“Don't.” She drew back, unable to cover the instant embarrassment. “Not right here.”

It would drive him crazy knowing there was nothing but his own fucking zipper between them for the rest of the night. He could’ve taken her upstairs right then and fulfilled her earlier request, but he wanted to draw the experience out as long as possible. “Have a drink with me, Kate?”

She nodded.

It was nice to just _be_ with her.

They did a couple shots, had a drink or two. They talked for a while. Danced together. He liked dancing with her. She stayed close to him, clinging to him, and the rest of the world just melted away.

The entire time he plotted the sex they were going to have when they went upstairs… He could tell she was anxious, but still determined. He anticipated her taking it pretty far. Part of him thought she wouldn’t really go through with it. The other part knew she would. After his efforts this morning, she seemed ready and eager.

Val only had a few patrons left before she made last call.

He touched the edge of her blouse, letting the pads of his fingers tease around the swell of her breast. He caressed up her chest, tracing her clavicle. Richie swept his fingers under her jaw. He thumbed across her bottom lip and tilted her head. Her eyes closed; waiting for the kiss she knew was coming. It was lust. It was need. It was a calm reassurance that this thing happening between them was real, something tangible and attainable. It was proof that their relationship could be forged on something more than an unending series of traumatic experiences.

“It’s late.”

_“I want to drink you up…”_

He reared back and stared at her. “Why did you say that?”

“I just,” she pressed her lips together. “I remember hearing you say it.”

 _At the twister, before_ … God, they had been doing this dance for a long time. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you, by the pool. I didn't even care how old you were.” He sometimes wondered what might have happened without Santanico playing in his head. Everything that happened then was a trick, a manipulation of his free will—except kissing her back, in that little room. That was a moment between them he wouldn't give up. “I was just as lost as you were.”

“We’ve come a hell of a long way since then, don't you think?”

He nodded.

“Richie…” She angled toward him, putting her lips close to his ear. She didn't need to get that close to say anything. He would have heard her whisper from across the room, but she seemed to have her own plans. _“Take me to bed, or lose me forever.”_

Her chosen movie quote made his mouth curl into smile. He probably looked like a fucking idiot, but he couldn't help it. He had insisted they watch the flick after discovering it on the late night motel room cable. She humored him, but Richie didn't think she had paid attention to _Top Gun,_ or his wealth of trivia, at all.

**  
**

**...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless smut (explicit smut) is coming... I got totally carried away and i'm not sorry...


	8. Richard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard Gecko played her body like a master conductor leading a symphony, perfecting and arranging woods and winds and brass with such precision and unique skill that everything came together in an alarmingly beautiful melody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like there needs to be some kind of note, or warning, or something, so i'm just gonna say: 
> 
> Smut. All smut. Not sorry. Round 1. 
> 
> Also, when i edit chapters like this, i tend to get a little uh...distracted...hopefully there aren't too many mistakes.
> 
>  
> 
> Sidenote little spoiler: I'm writing Ch 13, at the moment, and they're on their first official date... i just have to say, the fact that he did it all fucking backwards is so Richard Gecko.

 

 

He stalked toward her and came to a stop a few inches from her. Richie let her push him backwards, until the backs of his legs connected with the bed and he dropped onto the mattress. Slowly, she dropped down to her knees between his open legs. He was already hard and she couldn't help rubbing him over the stiff fabric of his trousers. 

Richie ducked down and brushed those plush lips against hers. “You don't have to do that.”

“I want to.” She had wanted to do it for a while, but never knew how to ask.

Summoning more confidence that she felt, Kate pinched the zipper between her fingers and worked it down the taut black fabric. She freed him from the restrictive fabrics and his cock sprang forward with an inelegant flop. _Big boy is right!_ It was bigger than she first thought. She wrapped her fist around the stiffened length of velvet and vein, weighing him in her hand.

Stilted by alcohol and her inexperience, she leaned over him. She supposed he knew she had never done this before. Kate worried that he might stop her if he sensed the slightest hesitation. That wasn't going to stop her; she wanted to do this for him. _Like an ice cream cone or lollipop? Easy enough…_ Kate reached out with her tongue, to taste his salty skin. She lapped up the smooth underside in a long stroke and circled around the ridge, suckling the head with a wet kiss.

Richie’s entire body shuddered beneath her and he purred with approval. She laved his length. Her tongue danced across his sac, exploring him, sucking and kissing a testicle at a time.

“Put it in your mouth,” he rasped.

Kate eased her lips wider, tonguing him as she drew him into her mouth.

“Easy, baby.”

With his guidance, she worked into a bob.

He gave more instructions as her confidence level grew: easy there, squeeze that, massage this, cup that, no teeth, harder, softer, faster, slower.

She worked him until the words became an intelligible jumble. The way his breathy moans changed excited her. To wield that kind of power over another person seemed odd to her, especially considering she used almost nothing but her tongue. But then, hadn’t he done the same thing to her this morning? She brought her hands up to create a little more friction, assuming he would tell her if he didn't like it.

“Oh Kate,” he gasped. “Katie—”

And that was the only warning he gave. His cock contracted in her hands and mouth. She eased back a bit and tried to keep the pace. Kate glanced up at him through a fringe of eyelash.

His panting grew more uneven and louder and the muscles in his jaw ticked as he closed his mouth.

She sunk down on him, pushing him to the back of her throat. And, then it happened… Thick, hot ribbons of his salty-sweet essence filled her mouth. Kate attempted to swallow, but there was too much. His seed spilled from her lips and trickled down her chin as she slid off him, wiping it with her fingers. More fluid seeped from the tip, dripping down his shaft. She circled a finger around the reddened head, smearing his cum.

But he didn't wilt like she expected. “You’re still hard?”

“I still want you.”

She wondered if that was a Culebra thing, or a Richie thing? Kate licked her lips. It was an unusual taste, not good exactly, but it wasn't a bad taste either.

Richie removed the black frames, folded them neatly, and placed them on the bedside table.

She advanced, pushing up from the floor and damn near jumping him as he lifted her against his chest. Their lips connected, not in a kiss, but a collision. Brutal. He tasted of whiskey and cigarettes and so distinctly _Gecko_. The combination should not have been appealing, but it was. Kate wasn't sure when she first began to crave the taste of him, now he was like a drug.

He broke the kiss long enough to yank the thin the pink blouse open. He dropped his head into the crook of neck, nipping and kissing the tender spot just below her ear. She dug her fingers around the fabric of his pants. Richie raised his hips so she could pull them off the rest of the way.

His hands traveled over her bare skin, down to the edge of the skirt. She threw her head back as one hand worked the clasp and zipper. The other hand pushed under the skirt to her folds, but only for a moment…

“Lie down,” he whispered.

She did as he asked, laying on her back in the middle of the bed. First, he flung his own shirt on to the floor. Then, he pulled the black fabric over her hips and down her legs. Almost as a reflex, Kate closed her legs, pressing her wet thighs together. He ran his hand up her leg to her knees and pushed his fingers down her inner thigh, parting them the same way he had that morning.

He adjusted his body over hers, propping himself up on his elbows, and settling between her legs. His erection slid through her folds on it’s own, probing as he moved.

Richie kissed her so tenderly that it didn't feel real. Her stomach clenched. Anticipation. Trepidation. He deepened the kiss and her whole body responded, overwhelmed by his heat. The feel of his naked skin against hers drove her crazy, rubbing her most private places. It made her hips rock reflexively against him.

He pushed against her opening and took her by surprise, her entire body tensed _._ Richie broke the kiss.

“Don't stop, please! Please!”

“Relax,” he cooed. “I know what you think it’s going to be like, but its not going to be like that.”

“Sure,” she said, “and you would know that from all the barely legal girls you’ve deflowered?”

“We don't have to do this.”

She tightened her grip on him. “Just…get in there fast.” _Real romantic, Kate…_ “I mean…don't draw it out too much. I want to feel you.”

He nodded. “Tilt up a little…” Richie’s mouth came down on hers again, thoroughly distracting her as he moved back into position. She tilted her hips, angling them with his. Slowly and smoothly, per her request, he sunk into her body without drawing it out.

Kate whimpered, digging her fingernails into his back. Pressure surged through her lower body, along with a slight burn and tingly sting. That was all—a ghost of pain and the oddest sensation of being filled and stretched as her body frantically adjusted to his invasion. She clung to him, locking her arms around his torso and her legs around his.

The kiss turned fierce. Richie rocked backward with a long, easy stroke and pushed forward, burying himself to the hilt in her softness. Pain lanced through her then, but ebbed just as quickly. Her whole body tensed and relaxed, as she anticipated the next thrust.

He rotated his hips into another long, slow stroke, and arched up over her.

“Ooh,” she moaned. Her eyes flicked to his. They held each other’s stare.

He rocked into an easy sawing motion, obviously struggling to keep the pace slow and steady. _For her_ … His hips slapped into the backs of her thighs, filling the room with an obscene clap. Sweat beaded on his forehead and down his back.

“What does it feel like?”

“Feels good. Warm…like coming home.” Richie eased up a little and nuzzled her. He kept his tone soft, “How do you feel? Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she breathed.

The more he moved, the more comfortable it became, and the more the plunging started to feel good. Kate found herself tilting her pelvis to meet each thrust, eager for the contact. Heat spread through her entire body, flooding her limbs. Being with him felt so right, like puzzle pieces falling together.

“Richie,” she gasped, “more…I want more.”

He shifted his knees, spreading them wider across the mattress and pressing his body closer to hers, which allowed him quicken his pace. Richie pumped into her with shorter, harder strokes. His warm breath fanned her hair and with his mouth so close to her ear, she could hear every noise he made, every grunt, every breathy hiss and moan.

“Ooh,” she couldn’t even get his name out of her mouth.

Kate rocked her head back. He hit so deep. _That spot_. The spot that made her toes curl when he used his fingers. “Oh, there. Right there.” The fluttering building in the pit of her stomach had her digging her fingers into his back again. Her body went rigid beneath him. “There!”

“Relax, Katie. Let it happen. I’m going to make you cum so hard…”

He pushed off her and sat back on his haunches. Richie gripped her by the thigh and pulled her down his full length. She squealed, forcing her eyes open again as her body came flush with his. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. There was no clumsy fumbling, just a complete body takeover.

His hand slid away from her thigh to her mound and his thumb circled her clit. She clenched as he tweaked the fleshy nub between his fingers.

She felt electric.

He began to thrust a little harder as the first strings of her release rippled through her body. Richard Gecko played her body like a master conductor leading a symphony, perfecting and arranging woods and winds and brass with such precision and unique skill that everything came together in an alarmingly beautiful melody.

The thrusting became more frantic and his pace faltered a bit. Her hips bucked hard into his, making him moan. Her body seized and keeping the pace became impossible. He tried to pump through her orgasm, but the jerk and shudder of her body threw him straight into his release.

Kate tightened her grip on him. He stabbed into her a final time, as far as her body allowed, spilling into the depths of her womb. Richie groaned her name as he collapsed over her in a sweaty heap.

She could barely move herself, her motor skills lacked. She lay on her back in a throbbing, boneless mass.

Neither of them said anything for a long time.

Neither of them moved. Long after the sweat began to dry, and her breathing slowed to normal. She felt the pressure ease as he softened inside her. Eventually, he did roll off of her, but Richie seemed reluctant to leave her warmth.

When he stretched out beside her, he apologized. “I’m sorry.”

She lolled her head toward him. “For what?”

“I wanted it to last longer.”

“Oh…” She smiled. “Somehow, I knew you’d be really good at that.”

Richie’s mouth opened and shut. He kept whatever arrogant response he had for her comment to himself. She yawned and closed her eyes, letting the growing fatigue take over.

“When can we do it again?”

“Soon, Katie.”

There was another extended silence between them and it wasn't even uncomfortable. And, again, he was the one to break it.

“I shouldn't have done that.”

“What?”

“Inside you,” he whispered, “I shouldn't have come inside you. That was stupid.”

She rolled toward him, resting her head on the middle of his chest. It took her a minute to catch his meaning. “I don't think Culebra have to worry about _that_.”

But neither of them knew for sure. It’s not like human-Culebra relations was a hot topic in their circle.

He pushed a hand lazily through her hair, playing with the strands. “How do you feel now?”

“Now,” she breathed. “Now I feel loved.”

 

...


	9. Kate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Round 2...

 

 

He didn't know what time it was and didn't particularly care. Sometime before dawn… 

Kate had kicked most of the covers off. Richie sat naked in a chair near the end of the bed, admiring the creamy expanses of skin and muscle laid out before him. Her perfectly rounded limbs were akimbo, soft, pliable.

He let his gaze rake across the exposed flesh. Her head tilted back, face relaxed in sleep, with tendrils of silky brown hair fanned across the pillow. Her supple lips were parted. The sweep of her décolletage had developed a thin sheen of sweat, beads formed and rolled down the valley between her small, perky breasts. His gaze lingered there, watching the light pink areola pucker and tighten as her chest rose and fell.

Richie studied the line of muscle running down the middle of her abdomen, watching her diaphragm dip and release with each even breath she took. Tilting his head, he followed the round of her hip down the crease where her leg met her torso. From his seated position, he could only see part of her firm milky thighs.

He leaned back in the chair, amazed by how hard he got just _looking_ at Kate… she always got him hard, like rebar, like reinforced steel. Richie wrapped his hand around the base and stroked up his generous length. He teased the underside with his fingertips, just below the ridge where all the nerve endings were.

Following the line of her leg back up to the apex, he gazed at those smooth pink lips, gently parted by the stretch of her leg, and dusted with a sparse smattering of manicured dark curls. It was hard to imagine that the swollen little pea-sized bundle contained roughly 8000 nerves—more than any other part of the body—and served absolutely no bodily function. Its sole purpose was pleasure.

He wanted to wake her up for more, but her pulse was so steady.

Her musky scent intoxicated him, there was nothing like it on Earth. It was so distinctly _Kate._ She tasted sweet, like nectar for Gods. _Ambrosia._ He knew he was in trouble, already in way too deep…

Richie got up from the chair and stalked over to the bed. He decided he had to wake her up, because he lacked the control to stop himself.

“Katie,” he purred, sliding back into bed and pulling the sheets away from her legs.

She let out a sleepy moan as she rolled toward him. Arching into him and gripping his leg, Kate raked her fingers up his outer thigh. She grazed the tip of his erection and circled his shaft with her hand, awkwardly tugging.

“Richie,” her voice breathy from sleep. “I want more.”

He arched into her hand. “Beg me for it.”

“Please, baby! I need you so bad, I want it,” automatically came out of her mouth. “Make me come again, Richie. This time…please _Fuck._ Me.”

He thought he was the one in control of this interlude, but quickly learned that was not the case. Kate shoved him, knocking him flat on his back. His dick bobbed, standing up straight and straining toward her. She rose up on her knees and crawled over to him. Her leg swung out to straddle him, and she sunk down his shaft in one swift plunge, as if it were something she did all the time. A fluid motion, it reminded him of a sword being sheathed. For a minute, he wondered if it might be a dream…

“You sore?”

She nodded her head, letting her dark hair whip. “But not too sore.”

Her core fluttered, stretching to accommodate his size. She held still for a moment, working her muscles on him. He felt every twitch, and that alone almost made him cum. Kate tilted her hips and made the initial move with a deep, slow rock savoring every single inch of him. When she began to move, he knew this was no dream.

He let her drive, for a while.

Kate’s movements were a bit sloppy and unsure, her pace uneven, but none of that held her back. The friction of their bodies generated so much heat. That heat infused the air around them, clouding the windows with steam. His moans encouraged her stride. The more noise he made, the faster and harder she went. She pumped on his body, possessed to the point where his participation seemed almost unnecessary.

The way she rode him was a direct contrast to their previous lovemaking, but if Kate really wanted an all out fuck, he would deliver.

Richie gripped her thighs and flipped her over, effectively reversing their positions. He tucked his hands under the backs of her knees and pinned her down, completely open to him. He arched back enough to watch himself plunge into her—there was something intensely erotic about watching her body take his entire length, take his girth, with such ease.

His control hung on by thin thread under the best circumstances, he had nothing to work with at the moment. He hammered into her so hard she clenched around him, and then he worked back into the shorter, harder strokes to try and ease up. His pelvis ground into hers, knocking the headboard into the wall. It seemed so tawdry, but the sound only egged him on.

Breathy moans came out of her mouth, punctuating each thrust.

When he released her, her knees pressed into his sides, so her legs ran down his flanks. She urged him on with the dig of a heel into his back. Kate wrapped herself around his waist, tightening like a vice. He propped up on his elbows over her, keeping his body close to hers. The contact felt so intimate. He had never wanted that before now, but the way she squeezed him, meeting his thrusts…

Kate panted in his ear. Her heart thundered around him. It felt like it was banging into his chest.

She cried out as he slammed into her with increasingly frantic strokes. The tingling in his sac zipped up the length of his shaft. He growled her name through clenched teeth, teetering on the edge of his own release. Trying to stay his climax became impossible. The tremor from his release rippled through his body, all jerky shudders and heat.

A fresh gush of juice pushed from her body, soaking him. Kate tightened her grip on him. Her legs locked around his hips and her arms laced around his neck. Even her cunt clamped down and prepared for him.

Richie arched his back and buried himself inside her, balls-deep, spilling into her depths again, as she exploded around him. He shut his eyes. The shake and pull of her body sent him to a completely new height of ecstasy. His fangs dropped and he sunk them into his own tongue, struggling not to bite her.

Spent. He collapsed on top of her, dropping his entire weight. She didn't protest or complain, Kate reinforced her grip on his neck and held him close to her.

“I knew you were holding back the first time.”

Her heart beat against his chest and he wished he could feel his own. “Didn't want to hurt you.”

She kissed his temple.

How could it be _so_ fucking good with her? Virgins usually floundered and groped. They needed time to explore and learn. But Kate, he should have known she would be different. She found the rhythm and ran with it, she made it her own.

With a little more practice, she would be incredible. He had her twice now and he was already fucking undone by her. At this rate, he’d never be able to have sex with anyone else again.

“Are you okay?”

“More than okay,” he mumbled.

“You’re not…”

He lifted his head from the crook of her neck. “Not what?”

“Hungry, or anything?”

She did not mean _food_. Pearly white teeth sunk into her plush bottom lip as her head tilted, stretching her neck.

“No, Kate.”

“But if you need it—”

“I don't. I’m fine.” He propped up on his elbows. “If I want to eat you, it’s not ever going to be your neck.”

They shifted into a lazy spoon, her softness pressed into all his hard angles.

“Richie…”

She was nervous about something and he could feel it. He wasn't sure what or why. He always answered her questions without judgment. Kate knew she could ask him anything, but this felt different. “What is it?”

“What if… what if I want you to? I mean, not right this minute, but what if somewhere down the line that’s what I want… Would you do it?”

He didn't know how to answer her. She wasn't talking about simply feeding him anymore; Kate meant that eventually she might want him to turn her… of course, that was the only way they would be together in the long run. “We’ll talk about it then.”

 

###

 

Seth opened his eyes at the knock of the headboard against the wall.

_Again?_

He was surprised she was up for another round so soon after getting that cherry popped. Earlier, he figured Richie had finally given in and fucked her, because the noises from Kate had changed. Both of them were making noise and moaning, but hers sounded more intense, breathier, and deeper. Her tone came through the walls, guttural and in the moment.

_“Oh, Richie! Richie, don't stop! Oh Richie. Ooh! Oh God.”_ She probably had no idea how fucking loud she was.

He grumbled, “Jesus Christ,” to the empty room.

His dick stiffened from the steady pace of the headboard and the mental pictures his brain eagerly supplied. If he had felt better, he probably would have enjoyed it right along with them. The slightest shift in his torso made his whole body ache, so he dare not touch himself.

“Fuck.” He pulled the blankets up over his head.

Seth hoped Richie broke her in good and hard. She needed to be prepared for anything, because when he made his move—and he was going to make a move—Kate had to be ready to take them both. The more positions his brother introduced her to beforehand, the better.

But all that would come later, when she was ready—if that were still something she wanted. Until then, he would lay in bed bubbling with frustration as he listened to their wanton passion.

 

...


	10. Psychic PTSD

  

Light filtered through the darkness, her eyes fluttered open. Another horrid dream pulled her from slumber. _Xibalba…_

Every part of her body ached. Every muscle. Every limb. She worried for a moment that she had woken up alone, but the lingering hint of cigarettes and sex put her at ease. She rolled over.

His large frame stretched out in space beside her, mostly uncovered, because the sheet and blanket were tangled around her body. His glasses were still neatly folded on the nightstand beside the bed where he had put them.

Kate let her gaze shift down the tawny hills and lines of exposed lean muscle, leading down to his groin. Her eyes lingered on the skin on his hip, rubbed raw. With his accelerated healing, it would be fine, but after that healed there would be no proof that she had been there.

She untwisted the sheet. Her breath hitched as she found dried reddish-brown streaked on it. She had seen more blood in the last few months than she had ever seen in her life, but this was different. This tiny amount of blood was her _virginal_ blood _._ She had been so wrapped up in the actual act that she hadn’t even given it a second thought.

Heat crept into her cheeks, despite the fact that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. If Richie noticed, he wouldn't even care.

 _Innocence officially lost…_ Everything was different now. She was different. She didn't really feel any different. It just was.

Kate pulled the sheet up over him, covering his nakedness, and snuggled into his side. Richie rolled, pressing against her. His eyes opened into little blue slits. He didn't truly smile that often, but he did then. A genuine mug from Richard Gecko was a rare and precious gift. “Morning, beautiful.”

“I don't think it is morning.”

He was unconcerned. “I like it better when you sleep naked.”

“Pervert.” She smiled back at him. “My daddy warned me about boys like you.”

“Knowing your father, I don't doubt it… why are you awake, did you have another dream?”

She nodded. “It’s always the same.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Not particularly.”

He pressed a little kiss to her forehead. “You don't have to worry about her anymore, you know.”

Somehow he always knew when she was thinking of _her_. “She’s a part of me. I’ll always worry that she’ll try worm her a way back in.”

“She’s a part of you in the same way that I’ve got a little Lucifer in me, it’s there, but it doesn't mean anything… You will never have to deal with her again. Not if I can help it.” His eyes were a bright, stunning blue and trained on her face. “You should think of it like a secret weapon.”

“How is that a weapon?”

“The power stays with you. You can draw from it when you need it. Use it.”

“I’m not like her. I’ll never be like her.”

“Using what she left doesn't make you like her, Kate. It just gives you a certain advantage. She can’t do anything to you that you haven’t already done to yourself anyway, that’s the power of self-sacrifice—”

“I know she can’t hurt me anymore…but sometimes, in my dreams,”

“It feels like she’s _Freddy Krueger_ and if you die in the dream you die for real?”

“Something like that.” She shifted closer to him, literally everything somehow related to pop culture movie references for the guy. She supposed that was the easiest way for him to relate to things. “They are so real. So vivid.”

“Do you,” he hesitated.

“What?”

“Do you want me to take them away?” he waved his left hand slightly. “I think I can.”

“No. It sounds stupid, but I don't want to forget… I can’t. I don't want to feel that weak and powerless again. Ever.”

“You’re not weak, Kate. You’re the strongest person I know.”

She wasn't convinced, but that earned him another kiss. “Can we just stay here? Like this. Spend the day in bed.”

“I wish.” He toyed with her hair again. “If we could go anywhere, even down in Mexico, where would you want to go?”

“Anywhere by the ocean. I can picture it so clearly…we’ll get a furnished condo with a view and a balcony and lots of shade, so you can sit outside whenever you want. A pool, maybe a cantina off the lobby…or down the beach,” she met his eyes again. “A big TV and Netflix, popcorn binges and movie nights with Los Tres Geckos.”

“Tres Geckos?” he repeated.

She had no trouble reading the expression on his face and if he had asked the question, the answer would have been _yes_. “Well, there are three of us.”

“Sounds like Heaven.”

 

###

 

“Where’s Richie?”

“Downstairs, making you something to eat.” Kate stepped into the room shaking the bottle of antibiotics the doctor had left him. “You have to take these, twice a day, until they’re gone.”

He took one look at her and knew for certain. The telltale tired but satisfied gleam in her eyes, the rosiness of her cheeks, and the fresh ruddy glow of her skin. She didn't just lose her virginity—Kate Fuller got _fucked…_

“I know that.”

Seth withdrew his gun and released the clip, setting it down on the mattress in front of him. He did it to avoid looking at her. She was fucking beaming; way too happy after Richie’s big dick tore her up. He was actually surprised she was walking so easily after a workout like that.

“After Doc left we came to check on you, but the sedative he gave you must’ve knocked you out.”

He checked the barrel. His words came out of his mouth snappier than he intended, “Before you went to bed?”

“Yeah,” she said. The word was quiet, and it felt like a confirmation to all his unasked questions.

God, he needed to calm the fuck down. Seth stripped the weapon, setting the barrel, slide, and guide rod and spring down in front of him. He inspected the frame and set it down as well. Then, he opened up his kit and laid out the items he needed, the gun oil, patches, cotton, a cloth, and bore brush.

“What are you doing?”

“Relaxes me.” He pushed the bore brush into the barrel, working it back and forth. He picked up a piece of cotton and mopped up the metal. “What’s he making?”

“I don't know.”

“Probably an omelet.” He went about brushing all the action parts and wiped them down with the cloth. “That’s basically the only thing he can cook.”

Kate smiled. She set the pills down on the nightstand and focused on him cleaning the gun. “Are you okay?”

Seth nodded.

She made a stifled groan and shifted as she sat down beside him. He ignored it and focused on her eagerness for another little impromptu gun lesson.

He picked up the guide and recoil spring and handed it to her. Seth took the barrel and slide, demonstrating how one piece inserted into the other. He showed her how to attach the recoil spring. He made her put the reassembled barrel back onto the frame and pull the slide.

She checked the chamber, and Seth double-checked it. Then, Kate picked up the clip and handed it to him. _Assembly complete_.

“Do you want him to bring it up here, or you wanna go down there?”

“Doc said I’m not allowed to do anything, nothing strenuous. Can’t lift anything over ten pounds and no fights. Just rest. So, that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“So…” she drew out the word, “sounds like a no to going downstairs?”

“Bingo.”

 

###

 

He brought the plate of food up to his brother, expecting another knockdown drag-out fight. He felt it coming. As soon as he stepped into the room Seth pinned him with that hard, dark stare and cut to the chase. “You fuck her?”

Richie didn't answer.

“The walls in this place are fucking Papier-mâché. But credit where credit’s due.” He took the offered plate and beer. “You held out longer than I thought you would.”

“It’s what she wanted.”

“I’m sure it is.”

Richie opened his mouth to try and explain, but he didn't know how. Putting his currently churning emotions into words seemed an impossible feat. So, he closed his mouth. He wasn't in the mood for another fight with his brother anyway.

The expression on Seth’s face softened. “What? What’s the matter?”

“Everything is different with Kate.” Richie sat down beside him. “Everything feels… I’ve never felt _this_ before. I have never felt like this about anybody, Seth, not even—” he decided to leave her name out of it. He had tried to force _this_ with her and was disappointed, but not surprised that it failed. “I just—”

“Just what?” asked Seth, chewing a mouthful of egg.

He hesitated, debating whether or not he should be having this conversation at all. “I don't know if what’s happening…is _real_.” Life had been so hard for him, until they abducted her into it. He would do just about anything to keep her, but his experiences with women over the last two years had been fucking comical. “She does things I want her to do, without a hassle or argument. She says things… She says things I’ve only ever dreamed of hearing from a woman. And last night… Last night was amazing.”

“I’ll bet.”

“It wasn't just sex.”

Seth swallowed. “It never is.”

“It was everything I wanted, Seth. It was fucking perfect.”

“Too perfect?” Actual concern etched into his brother’s features and Richie relaxed into an unguarded moment. Seth seemed to understand what he was trying to communicate. “It is real this time, buddy. We have her back and she’s real and she’s here with us. This…feeling…you’re having, this is some fucked up psychic PTSD from those bitches playing in your head. That's all. Kate has been all over you for weeks.”

Richie sensed his jealousy and maybe a little resentment there…

“There is nothing supernatural at play—that's all her.”

“I love her,” admitting it out loud, in front of his brother, made it absolutely real.

Seth didn't balk or curse. He didn't even laugh or make fun of him. He didn't downplay it either, because he already knew… “Does she know that? Have you told her you love her?”

He nodded. “And what if everything changes now?”

“It won’t, man. She’s not like that.” Seth stabbed at the remaining bits of his omelet. “That girl is in just as deep… Haven’t you noticed the way she looks at you? Because I have, and I don't think Kate has ever looked at me the way that she looks at you.”

That sufficiently boosted his confidence. “How does she look at me?”

“Like you’re burning her, from the inside out.”

He shot him a quizzical look. “That doesn't exactly sound like a compliment, brother… Burning how?”

“For someone so fucking smart, sometimes you’re dumb as hell. You know, like smoldering. Burning with desire. It’s like she saves those goddamn doe eyes just for you.”

Richie assumed that was what he meant. He wanted to make his brother say it out loud. “Can you do something for me?”

Seth tilted his head, incredulous. “Almost everything I do is for you, idiot.”

“With Kate,” he kept his tone low. “Can you just…give me a little time with her before you barge in and take over?”

“Have to.” Seth set the empty plate down. “Doctors orders, I’m supposed to restrict action of any kind… and I don’t want to take over, Richie. I just want to love her too and I can do that in many different ways. I can give it however she wants to receive it.”

He doubted Seth would ever resign himself to a brotherly role with her. “Thanks.”

“Thanks nothing, we agreed on this—what Kate wants. Whoever Kate wants. Plain and simple.”

Richie nodded. That was the agreement. Whatever happened, she would always have the final say. If she wanted to leave, she could opt out. If she wanted to stay, she had that choice. If she wanted one or the other of them, or both of them at the same time, she had that choice too. If she wanted neither of them she could tell them both to fuck right off and that would be the end of it. Her pace. Her rules. All three of them had agreed. He didn't know how he would do that if she changed her mind, at this point, but he didn't imagine she would tell him to fuck off after last night.

“Thanks for making breakfast, Dick.”

He pointed at the pills on the nightstand. “Take those and get some rest.”

Richie took the empty plate back down to the kitchen. By the time he got there, Val had come in and was sitting on a barstool at the end of the bar, with Kate.

He joined them, leaning on the bar-top beside her.

“Richard,” Val said. “You need to give your girl some cash—I’m taking her shopping.”

Richie studied the expression Kate wore. She gave him an once-over and those wide green eyes settled on his face. He usually associated the expression with hunger, not love, but Seth was right. The dreamy, yet impish smile on her face was one she directed only at him, and it undid him every time. She had some kind of spellbinding power, capable of bringing him to his knees with a little direct eye contact and a grin—that was crazy. He would do anything for her. Literally anything. If she had turned around and asked him to go help her harvest souls, he would have leapt out of the goddamn chair. No mindfuck required.

“If you’re taking her, then shouldn't you be footing the bill?” still, even as the words came out of his mouth, he pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

“You’re a funny guy.”

He didn't even count the bills, just slipped a fold of them to Kate. “I figure, at the very least, that should get me a little kiss.”

She silently tilted her face up to his. Her soft, dry lips connected, and even the chaste pucker made his head spin. He should have stayed in bed with her all day, just like she wanted.

“Get something nice. I’m taking you out tonight.”

“Like a date?”

“Yeah,” he answered without hesitation. “Like a date.”

So far they had done this shit backwards. Dinner should have come before all their makeout sessions. A date should have come before any foreplay or sex. The Preacher’s daughter deserved at least one proper date out of him. It was too late to change that now, even if he wanted to. On the other hand, he didn't hear her complaining.

Richie sat down on the barstool on the opposite side of Kate. “You—” he pointed at Val. “—Don't let her out of your sight.”

“She ain’t a puppy, baby, I won’t lose her.”

He leaned into Kate, pressing his lips to her ear. “Keep your eyes open and take your gun.”

“I don't have it anymore…remember?”

 _Right_. Because the efficient assholes took it and they didn't get it back. He still had the piece he normally shoved into his ankle holster. “My .38 is upstairs in my bag. Take that.”

“I’m sure we wont need it.”

“But I’ll feel better knowing you have it. Take it… Please.”

The quiet noise she made lifting her sore body off the stool made his lips curl into a smirk. She glanced back at him, knowing immediately what he was thinking—pink tinted her cheeks.

Both of them watched Kate head upstairs to retrieve the weapon. Val perched an elbow on the bar, studying him. Richie pulled his cigarettes from his pocket and dropped them on the bar. He removed two. He lit them both and passed one to her.

“How did you meet this little bird? She’s a sweet kid.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line. No way in hell he was going to tell Val _that_ story. She wouldn't believe half of it anyway, even if he did. “We met by a pool at a motel, the last time Seth and I were heading into Mexico to lay low.”

“Ah, when you ended up dead?”

“Do I look fucking dead to you?” He shifted uncomfortably. “The goddamn rumor mill round these parts is worse than my grandma’s sewing circle.”

The expression on her face stayed steady, giving nothing away. “They identified bodies, Richard.”

“Misidentified charred remains.”

“I’m positive there is more to that story, but I’ll let it go—for now. What I do know, is that one,” she motioned to the doorway Kate had passed through. “She would walk through fire for you and your brother.” Val took a deep drag on the cigarette. “You always did know how to make an impression on the young ones.”

“Kate is different.”

“I can see that.” Val smiled. “I don't know how you ended up with an angel like that on your shoulder, or why you deserve it, but if I were you, I’d try hard not to fuck it up.”

He didn't know the how or why either. They didn't deserve it, at all. But now that he had her, he was going to do everything in his power to hold onto her.

“You boys are in deep this time, aren’t cha?”

“When are we not?” He held the cigarette between his lips. “Things got hairy quick this time. Few cops were killed in the shootout; law enforcement doesn't take too kindly to losing their own. There is always trouble when they start flashing our faces all over the news.”

“Is anyone else following you that I should be concerned about?”

“Not that I know of, but imagine they are. I’m serious, Val, do not let her out of your fucking sight.”

“Scouts honor,” she said. Val flashed a two-finger salute at him—the wrong goddamn fingers. “Do I need to worry about her being recognized?”

“I don't think so.”

“What about you getting recognized while you’re here?”

“I’ve got that all worked out.”

“Of course you do.” She shook her head. “You remember our last date?”

“Yeah. Your brother almost killed me.” He deserved it then, too. “Probably would have, if not for you.”

“When I see you and Kate together…kinda it reminds me of that time. She’s a lucky girl.”

“I’m not that stupid kid anymore.” He couldn't afford to be that reckless anymore. He had promised nothing else would happen to Kate after they got her back and he intended to hold true to that, or die trying. He was stronger, faster, and all of his senses were heightened. It gave him an advantage, allowed him to be hyper-aware of their surroundings. Nothing was going to touch her ever again. “I never wanted anyone to get hurt, especially you, you didn't deserve that.”

“I never blamed you, you know.”

Seth and Kate appeared in the doorway, beads swung and clinked around them. Val snubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and nodded toward her. Seth’s brow furrowed and she did not miss it.

“Don't worry, baby, I’ll bring her back soon. Make yourselves at home…I know you will anyway.”

Kate sauntered over to him and planted another quick kiss on his lips, before following the other woman out of the bar.

“Where the hell are they going?”

“Shopping.”

“Richie—”

“They’ll be fine. Kate can handle herself and I made sure she’s armed.”

“Richard,” Seth repeated. “You’re gonna let Valerie Vega drive Kate around? Did you have a fucking aneurism sitting there? Do you not remember what kind of hazard to public safety that chick is behind the wheel?”

Richie glanced back toward the door with a grimace. He had not, in fact, remembered that… “Shit.”

 

...


	11. Plans for Juarez

 

 

“I’ve never seen a Gecko in love before, especially _that_ one. It’s…strange. Richard barely knows what to do with himself when you’re around. What kind of spells you working on that boy, baby? The tea, spill it.” 

“Seth calls it Voodoo.”

Val laughed out loud and pulled the car out into busy traffic. “He’s probably terrified that you’ll take his one true love from him.”

“What?” An uneasy laugh came out of Kate’s mouth.

“Richie,” she clarified. “Seth Gecko’s one true love. Always has been, always will be.”

“There’s fifty bucks with your name on it, if you say that to his face.”

She laughed again.

The fingers of one hand clenched around the seatbelt and the other squeezed around the door handle, as Val pumped the brake and took a corner at high speed. Kate swallowed hard. After all she had been through to make it to this point, a car accident was not going to finish her off. It couldn't. She had a date—her first real date with _a_ _man_ —and she would not miss it.

“I need to find the perfect dress.”

“He didn't give you much to work with as far as a venue goes… You thinking flirty little black dress, or something elegant and sexy as hell?”

“For Richie, maybe a little bit of both? I want to look like a goddess.”

Val’s full red lips parted into a wide smile. “I like your style, Kate Fuller… you’re a sweetheart and I’d hate to see that change. I don't wanna step on any toes or offend, but I have a question…something I’ve been wondering about.”

“Ask, whatever it is.”

She glanced at her. “You know Seth likes to play with Richie’s _toys,_ right?”

“Yeah,” she answered quietly, assuming that meant exactly what she thought it meant. “And unless it’s food neither one of them share very well.”

Val lipped a smoke fumbling to find her lighter. She merged blindly into the right lane. “You roll with one Gecko you get them both and if you don't like it, you don't stick around.”

“I know.” But she had less of an issue with it than Val did, apparently. “For better or worse, they’re kind of a package deal…”

“You want me to run interference? Because I will. I always did like me a nice side of beefcake.”

Kate laughed.

“I could do my fucking laundry on those abs.”

“Do it. A little distraction won’t hurt, it’ll be good for him.” She laughed harder. “How long have you known them?”

A horn behind them bleated and Val ignored it. “Shit. Must’ve been High School.”

Val drove all over the road.

Kate white-knuckled the seatbelt strap as she pressed for more information, more as a distraction from the extreme fear of a head-on collision. “And you dated…?”

“Richard… he was a cute little nerdy, bookish kid. Skinny as hell, but just as tall as he is now. He was different from the other boys. I liked that.”

“He still is.”

She nodded. “They were living with their uncle for a spell, moved around a lot. Seth Gecko was a scrappy sonofabitch, as rough n’ tumble then as he is now—always itchin’ for action. Cocky. God, they were a fucking pair.”

“They still are,” she laughed again. “How did it end?”

“My crazy brother… Seeing you with ‘em, it all came rushing back. It was the three of us for a whole damn summer… I haven’t thought about those boys in years.” A humorless smile spread her lips. “It never would have worked out in the long run. But you,” she tossed the cigarette butt out the window, “you have a light in you, little Miss Fuller…divine design. Kind of evens them out, I think. That's special.”

Was that her fate? An endless summer with them, and then a sudden end?

Val cranked the wheel, turning the car into a Strip Mall driveway. The engine revved. The car spun and swung into a parking space. When she shut the car off, Kate wanted to reach over and grab the keys and toss them out the window.

“Well…shall we go find you a pretty dress, baby!”

 

###

 

Seth eased down on the vacated barstool at the end of the mahogany. His whole left side throbbed, from his hip all the way to the top of his head. He was grateful for the antibiotics and the patch job from Doc, but what he really wanted were some good goddamn painkillers. With his little issue using opiates, he decided not to take what Doc had given him. Alcohol was a poor substitute for Oxy.

“You okay?”

He nodded. “Did you tell Kate about Mexico?”

“Yeah,” answered Richie. “She’s not thrilled.”

“I didn't expect her to be.”

They were alone in the bar. It wouldn't open for several hours. He figured that would give them some time to workout their next move. He found a map behind the bar, but it didn't have the information he wanted. 

“We have two possibilities—we can walk or we can drive. Driving means waiting in a long ass line of cars and dealing with questions. It also increases the chance of being recognized. However, walking across runs the same risk of being recognized. We’ll need forged paperwork, fake names, and some kind of disguises.”

“Hell. No.”

“Listen, there were two footbridges, walking is easier and faster, and once we cross the Rio Grande we’ll officially be Mexicans…again. Walking across does present the problem of transportation.”

“No,” Richie repeated. “We are not _walking_ Kate into one of the most dangerous cities in the world, at night. No.”

“I never thought I’d say this…I wish we had that goddamn Winnebago.”

“Do you hear me, Seth?” Richie smacked the bar in front of him and waved a hand in front of his face. “We are not doing that.”

“We don't have a lot of options, Richard.”

“Are you high, like right now? Anything that puts Kate in immediate danger is off the fucking list. So, forget about it.”

Juarez was busy and dangerous, but she would be with them, one of them, at least, all times. “So, what? You get a little pussy and you think you’re running this fucking show now, is that it? Well, you had better come up with something better, Romeo, because I don't hear any good suggestions coming from you.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. He did feel like stirred shit, but he didn't think he was being unreasonable. “This is our only option—if we want to cross here. Drive or walk. The other option is Arizona, but it would be in our best interest to cross the border sooner rather than later.”

“I do have an idea…but you’re gonna hate it.”

Seth stared at him for a moment; he knew what his brother was thinking. “If it involves calling a certain Texas Ranger, the answer is no, and he wouldn't agree to do something like that anyway.”

“He might do it for Kate.”

“Richard—”

“We can have him drive us over the board, extraditing us back to—”

Seth interrupted him. “That will never work. Typically, extradition works the other way round, that’s why we go to Mexico to lay low in the first fucking place, nimrod.”

“It’s worth a shot.”

He pressed his fingers into his temples, rubbing circles.

Richie sighed audibly. “I can _borrow_ someone else’s face and ID to get Kate across safely… Maybe Val can drive you across in the car. We can meet up on the other side and she can walk back across. All she would need is someone to pick her up at the depot and take her back to the bar.”

“Great. Freaky Culebra shit… Not my favorite option, either. I don't want to split up. You know how things go when we do that.”

“As you said, we don't have a lot of options.” Richie stood up, stretching his large frame. “If it makes you feel better, you can cross first, so you and the car are waiting on the other side, while Kate and I cross on foot… that way, she goes straight into the car and we can take off. She’ll need some kind of disguise too, I suppose. Then, after we’re over, we can go find your stupid beach.”

He had to admit; he kind of liked that idea. Richie would be able to disguise himself after he fed, and he had no doubt his brother would make damn sure Kate got across with as little trouble as possible—especially now. All he had to do was sweet talk Val into driving him across. That meant he would have to ride in his own goddamn trunk, and also survive her driving… “Val should not see you like _that_.”

“Send her back before we cross.”

“I’m sure she’ll want to see Kate off…since they’re bonding as we speak.”

Richie leaned on the bar. “Then we’ll have to leave at sunset, you need to leave before because you’ll be waiting in traffic for hours… I’ll find my disguise somewhere near the depot. Val will be in the car with you. After we cross the river, I’ll shift back.”

_We…_ he and Kate were a ‘ _we’_ now. Seth forced himself to focus. He didn't like the splitting up, but it was better than no plan at all. “Alright…” he said. “Still needs work, but it’s workable.”

His brother pushed off the mahogany and slipped out of his jacket. He loosened his straight black tie and pulled it from his neck. Nimble fingers worked the button strip of his dress shirt.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Two hours till sundown, I have a date to get ready for. Have to feed and shower and change.”

“Date?” spat Seth.

 

###

 

Two and a half hours later, Richie waited in the bar, sitting almost exactly where she had left him this afternoon. He fed on some asshole in the alley. Then, he had showered and changed, putting on the black shirt with the red embellishments and a fresh suit.

The few hours with Val were the longest they had been apart in the last several months and every minute felt like an eternity.

Finally, he heard the car pull into the lot outside, heard the cut of the engine. He listened to the sweetness of female laughter. The sounds of her carefree and laughing stirred so many foreign feelings.

Kate crept up behind him. He let her, even though he knew she was coming. She wrapped her arms around his middle. “Sorry we’re late, but I think you’ll forgive me when you see what I bought.”

“How long are you gonna make me wait?”

“I’ll be ready in twenty.” She pecked him on the cheek. “Time me.”

Kate ran through the beaded curtain and up the stairs.

Val let in her cocktail waitresses and went about stocking and opening the bar. Every now and then she stole a glance at him. God knew what kind of blackmail material she had given Kate, after shopping together all day.

After he’d had enough of her looks, he asked, “What?”

“Just waiting for the reaction I know is coming.” Her grin widened as her eyes shifted behind him. “I wish I had a camera.”

He listened to the clack and scrape of heels against the vinyl flooring. Richie turned his head toward the sound. Glossy red enameled toes peeked out from single strap nude heels. He followed the line of her leg, from the knob of her ankle, to the curve of her calf, to her knee, and half way up her firm thighs. Red textured fabric contoured around her body, moving into a pleated halter hugging the swell of her breasts with a slit down the front accentuating their size. The fresh makeup she had applied looked soft, but bold—slightly winged eyeliner and red lips. And her dark hair hung around her shoulders in tousled waves.

The only jewelry she had was the simple gold cross she always wore, and he regretted not palming one of the necklaces for her.

Richie opened his mouth to compliment her, but words didn't come. The fit of his trousers began to tighten, almost immediately. He felt sixteen years old again… Kate, however, was not put off by this uncharacteristic silence. She reveled in it and the smile that played across her face was a touch hungrier than it had ever been.

“Kate…you…look…”

She looked like a fucking Amazon sauntering over to him, the height of the heels made her hips sway a little more than usual.

“Ready, baby?”

“Yeah,” he managed. _Baby._ She was already picking shit up from Val, but he liked how the endearment sounded coming out of her mouth and hoped she kept it up.

Seth damn near had a litter of kittens when he dared to ask to borrow the car for the evening, so he worked out his own fucking transportation. And he was not sorry about the money he spent to do it.

Richie held a hand out. Kate slid her fingers into his. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to her fingers. The electricity between them was palpable, it always was, but tonight it felt static. Permanent.

“Behave you two,” called Val, as she tended her first wave of patrons. “Don’t do anything I wouldn't do!”

He had no interest in food, or the rest of the plans he’d made. His gaze fell to the sway of her ass as they walked out the door. He stayed a step behind her, just to admire the view. Richie directed her toward a glossy black DB9 Aston Martin parked behind the bar, in the back of the parking lot.

“Richie,” Kate stopped. “James Bond drives this car.”

“Yes he does.”

“How did you—?”

“I have my ways.” He stopped at the passenger side door and opened it for her, waiting patiently as she climbed in. He liked this. He was happy. This seemed normal—normal for them. And all of it could be over in a split second, if he wasn't careful.

 

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... i've been curious and wondering if you guys have connected who Val is related to? She is completely OC, but i did try to tie her to the Tarantino universe...


	12. Carlos & Mickey's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everybody!
> 
>  
> 
> Also - those of you who guessed Vincent Vega, you are correct! Val is the baby sister of the Vega brothers, Vincent (Pulp Fiction) and Vic (Mr. Blond, Reservoir Dogs)... they're like the Gecko Brothers on Meth.

 

 

A waft of burning cigarette smoke and the sickly sweet aroma of fresh blood hung in the air around her as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He had fed while they were out and chased it with a cigarette. But it was more than that, something else mingled with the familiar aromas. Kate wondered which of the regular riffraff had been sacrificed to sustain him. With his rules about only feeding from dark souls, the loss of life didn't really bother her, but she did wonder if the car had belonged to the victim. 

Driving with Richie was far less stressful than driving with Val had been and Kate relaxed into the leather seat. The drive was short, but complicated. He had made a lot of twists and turns. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, and if he didn't he played it off beautifully.

“Did you have a good time today?”

“Yeah,” and she actually did. Spending time with another woman turned out to be something she needed, and her connections to the boys made Kate feel safer—despite her driving. “Val is really interesting.”

“That's one word for it.” He reached for her. Those large fingers landed on her leg, just above her knee and slowly inched up her thigh. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah,” she answered quietly. “Where are you taking me?”

“First, to eat, and then a surprise. But I have half a mind to skip it and take you back to bed right now.”

_Funny he should mention that_ … Kate placed her small hand over his much larger one, urging his fingers further up her thigh.

He glanced at her. “You look stunning.”

_Stunning_ was definitely in the ballpark as far as compliments go. “Yeah? You can thank Val, she talked me into this dress.” She had been aiming for something more appropriate in black, but this certainly had the desired affect. “You clean up pretty well yourself, Gecko.”

Kate parted her legs a little more, pushing his right hand deeper beneath the body contouring skirt. His long fingers swept the tender, bare skin at apex of her thighs.

He made a little noise in the back of his throat. “Naughty kitty.”

Richie turned into a space and parked the car. He awkwardly killed the rumbling engine with his left hand, while leaving his right hand where it was.

“I thought you might approve.”

_And he did…_ She saw the flash of yellow in his eyes as his fingers sunk into her folds. Kate also caught a glimpse of his fangs dropping before he closed his mouth. Dark scales rippled across his hairline and forehead, but disappeared just as quickly, as he reigned himself in.

The heat of arousal spread through her body. Two fingers teased her, with a circular sweep, and then dipped further, eliciting a moan and a fresh burst of moisture from her body. She was still pretty sore, but she found the light caress of his fingers soothing.

When he withdrew, Richie brought his hand up and stuck his fingers in his mouth, sucking her essence.

Kate unclipped her seatbelt and slid over the console, into his lap. She curled her fingers around his tie and drew him closer. But Richie leaned forward and closed the small gap between them. His tongue wrapped around hers, sliding along in a velvety soft sweep. Her stomach tightened like a coil, in anticipation. She felt the rush of adrenaline begin to work its way through her body.

“Oh, Richie.” She mumbled into his mouth.

She shifted, grinding on him. Kate pulled her mouth away and removed his glasses, before pelting him with little kisses. Her hands slid down his tie, down his chest and abdomen, to the bulge nudging her thigh. He moaned, tightening his grip on her hips. She pressed firmly, stroking him over his trousers.

Her lips pressed into his jaw and down the column of his neck. “You taste—” She arched back and recaptured his lush lips. “—really good.”

“Maybe,” Richie gasped, between her kisses. “We should,” she bit his lower lip, teasing it. “Get takeout…” she rocked in his lap, using his body for more stimulation. “And go back to our room.”

His hands slid down her back, rounding her ass, and scrunching the red fabric between his fingers. He pressed her body against his.

“No!” She pulled her mouth away from his, flattening the silk tie back against his torso. “I’m sorry, Richie. No, you went to all this trouble. You made plans.”

“Some plans are made to be broken.”

“We cannot skip out on our first date. I want to have a good time with you.”

“Going back to bed is a good time.”

“And we will. Later.” She kissed him again. “But first…where are we?”

“ _Carlos and Mickey’s_ ,” he grunted.

Kate unlatched the driver’s side door and climbed out, smoothing the skirt back down her legs. “Mexican, of course.” She laughed. “What is it with you and Mexican food?”

“Tex-Mex.” He climbed out behind her. Richie straightened and smoothed his tie himself. The front of his trousers tented. He stuck his hand down his pants and shifted it, trying to make the erection less noticeable. It didn't really work, but at least it was dark out.

“Sorry.”

“Never ever apologize for working me up like this.”

“But now you’ll be uncomfortable.”

“It’ll be fine—I’ll take it out on your ass later.”

“Promise?”

He walked her across the street, toward a large beige building. It was large and reminded her of an old style hacienda. They passed under a brown wrought iron sign lit with a rope of twinkle lights. _Los Banditos de Carlos and Mickey’s_. She was not surprised he chose a place with banditos in the title—that was probably the whole reason he chose it.

The hostess greeted them as they stepped into the foyer and Richie used her body to block his. When he told her his name, _Mr. Richard_ , she hopped out from behind the little podium and ushered them directly to a table. It looked dark inside the restaurant too. Kate glanced up at him. Silently, he offered her his arm and she took it. He was suave and confident, walking into the dining room like a boss with her on his arm.

She led them to a table in the corner with a good view of the entire dining room. The ambience was authentic Mexican. Photographs cluttered the walls, showcasing the history of the family and of El Paso. Only a dangle of twinkle lights here and there and a random spray of neon helped the dim lighting. The table had been angled, and instead of across, Kate chose to sit to the side of him. That way she stayed close to him and neither of them had their backs to the door.

Richie picked up the napkin bundle and unrolled it, immediately placing the cloth in his lap.

A guy brought them chips and salsa—which were served in a full tostada that they broke themselves. She learned that was the guy’s only job, delivering the chips and salsa.

“Are you ready to order drinks, Mr. Richard?”

“Horchata and a strawberry Margarita.”

“I’ll get those right out. Your waitress will be with you in a moment.”

When the hostess left, he leaned on the table. “Order whatever you want, Kate.”

“Thank you, _Mr. Richard_.”

She guessed when he made his reservation he started to give his name and thought better of adding Gecko, being that most of Texas was currently looking for them. She further assumed that was the reason he left his glasses in the car. Thanks to their impromptu makeout session, his hair was slightly mussed, too. He looked different without the black horned-rims—nothing like his mugshot photo.

Kate excused herself to the bathroom, to quickly clean herself up.

Richie surprised her on a regular basis, so she couldn't imagine what he had planned for the evening. She wandered back into the dining room. He sat at the table, calmer than she had ever seen him. His confidence level was off the chart and he oozed a charisma that rivaled Seth’s natural charm. At the moment, he seemed capable of anything.

She settled back into her chair. “You’re so different tonight.”

He folded his arms on the table, leaning toward her. “How do you mean?”

“All this…stuff you planned,” she said. “This place, the fast car, that suit, the way you’ve presented yourself, even the way you smell tonight.”

“Different in a good way, right?”

“This is what you wanted all along, isn’t it?” She realized she had answered his question with a question, instead of answering him. “It’s good…I like the fast car—”

“I’m gonna fuck you in that car.”

She guessed that had always been a part of his plan. “What I mean is it’s always been about more than money, it was the _status_. That’s what you wanted? And you wanted that, so people would see you and treat you differently.”

He had ambitions to become a Lord, or Culebra King, or whatever. As much as he loved his brother, he wanted to step out of his shadow. Be his own man, be his own big crime boss. Richie wanted to be something more than ‘the crazy Gecko’ and he had risked damn near everything for it.

“In a way,” he admitted. “I was so close to it too…but the price I had to pay to get it,” his gaze locked on hers, “was too high.”

_Losing her, watching her die in front of him…_ The urge to tell him how she felt churned through her. “Richie, I…”

“Are you ready to order?”

Kate snapped her head toward the perky waitress, annoyed by the interruption, and attempted to conceal her reaction behind a smile. The girl paid no attention. She set down their drinks, giving her the Horchata and Richie the margarita, and went into a spiel about the house specials.

His large hand covered hers. The coolness of his touch made the hair on her arms prickle and stand on end.

She ordered Chicken Fajitas. He ordered Tacos Al Pastor. Then the waitress left the table.

“Richie, I…I have s-something I need to tell you…” but the words didn't come.

_I love you._ It wasn't hard to say. _I fucking love you._ The words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. He deserved to hear them. Why couldn't she just spit them out? The words were stuck right on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be put out into the universe—never to be taken back.

“Kate,” he whispered, angling closer to her. “I know.”

“You know?”

He switched their drinks, taking his Horchata. “You don't have to tell me anything.”

“How can you be okay with that?”

“There is more than one way to tell someone you love them.”

She told Seth back at the motel and it was easy, but it was also a very different circumstance. With Seth it was a simple fact, direct. There wasn't a whole lot to think about or commit to. With Richie, everything was jumble of rioting emotions, and admitting those feelings became so much more than three little words. I _love_ you. It scared her, for so many overwhelming reasons. Like her irrational fear that something would happen to him as soon as she admitted it aloud.

“That's not the same, Richie.”

“No, it’s not the same… it’s better. I hear it in the way you say my name and even when you call me an idiot.” He took her hand again. “I feel it in your touch.” His thumb slid across her knuckles. “And hear it in the way your heart races when I touch you… I see it in those lovely green eyes every time you look at me. Believe me, Kate, I _know_.”

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away. “You are an amazing man.”

He smiled. “I know that too.”

“Arrogant,” she said, sipping her margarita. “But still amazing.”

“You know what, do that…”

“What?”

“Instead of love…just say, _Richie, you’re an idiot_ and I’ll know what you really mean. It can be our thing.”

“Okay.” She laughed. “Richie…” Kate leaned toward him and he closed the distance. Their lips came together in a soft, warm mesh. “You’re an idiot.”

He angled his head, capturing her lips between his, and then nipped at her bottom lip. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”

The sounds and smells of a sizzling skillet drew them away from each other, as the waitress quietly set their dishes down. She smiled at them, but was obviously uncomfortable interrupting.

“Gracias,” said Kate.

“Is there anything better than homemade tortillas?”

A burst of laughter left her lips. His excitement over food products never ceased to amuse her.

“I know, don't say it.” He glanced at her. “I’m an idiot.”

“ _My_ idiot.”

 

...


	13. Seth

 

 

Val shouted last call as he stepped through the beaded curtain. He expected to find them down there, but he saw no trace of his brother or Kate—where the hell could they be at two in the goddamn morning, in El Paso? 

Her eyes met his from across the room. Glassy. Seth decided she was at least half drunk. A smile arched her lips, as she watched him take a seat at her bar. Her fingers curled around a glass on the shelf, and she grabbed a half-full bottle of anonymous brown spirits.

“Hey, baby.” Val stopped in front of him. She set the glass down and unscrewed the lid, pouring him a generous double. “You look much better tonight. How you feelin?”

“Good.” He picked up the tumbler. _Whiskey._

He wasn't shining her on, either. The pain had begun to subside, thanks to the little magic pills he finally broke down and took. “Thank you, Valerie, for all of it. For handling things… I know we took a risk coming to you, dragging you into this. Despite my brother’s confidence, I wasn't sure that we would be very welcome here.”

She set the bottle between them and leaned on the bar, hands flat on the mahogany. She stood with a little pop of the hip that accentuated the thinness of her waist. “Now don't go gettin’ all sentimental on me, beefcake.”

The saying was true— _even flowers bloomed in the desert_. What the hell was she still doing in El Paso? She belonged on a goddamn billboard, in one of Kate’s girly magazines, or decorating some rich bastard’s arm, definitely not in the desert.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Richard, I never blamed you. You don't get to carry that guilt around. Vic got crazy—like he always did—that ain’t on you or your brother. You’re just lucky Vincent was there to wrangle him when I couldn't…” she stole a breath, “But damn it, I missed you boys when you were gone.”

“Now who’s getting sentimental?” he sipped the whiskey, letting it burn down the back of his throat. “You were better off without us.”

“I know.” Her soft smile returned. “So, prison, huh?”

“I don't recommend it.”

“Oh, I bet they _loved_ you in there. I bet they were all over that sweet ass.”

“Stop—”

“It’s okay,” she teased. “You can tell little ole me.”

“Valerie. Stop. Now.”

She laughed; a light and melodic giggle that would make a dead man sit up and fucking pay attention. She certainly had his attention. Val bent down, leaning on her elbows, and making herself eyelevel with him. She batted those lovely dark eyelashes at him. His pulse kicked into a familiar rhythm, pumping his blood in a swift southerly direction.

Her airy laugh was contagious. Seth couldn't help smiling. “You know, I give him a lot of shit, but I don’t know what I would have done if Richie hadn’t busted me out of that prison transfer. Things went bad fast then too, but I had to get out of there.”

“That’s when you met sweet little Kate, after he busted you loose?”

He restricted his answer to a vague, “Yeah.” No need to get into all that.

“I like her.”

Seth took another sip. “Me too.”

Pearly white teeth raked across her plush bottom lip, her tongue darted across the same spot, and his gaze followed. “Oh, I bet that’s mutual.”

“I bet you’d be right.”

She picked up _his_ drink and took a sip. “And your brother—”

He interrupted, “Is a lovesick fool.”

Val laughed again, but he was not joking.

“She loves us both, I know that. She loves me, but not the way she loves him.”

He didn't know if it was the booze, or the attentions of a beautiful female, or the Oxy he had taken, but he was _feeling_ it. Maybe it was more than that… He was maxed out on jealousy after the sexcapades last night and he wanted some action too. Hell, maybe he’d just flirt like hell, work his magic on her, and see how far that got him. Seriously, didn't he deserve to have a little fucking fun too?

“I’m gonna close up,” her hazel eyes swept over him. “Don’t disappear.”

The cocktail girls left behind the last few patrons and regulars. Val bolted the heavy wooden front doors. His eyes followed the sway of her hips as she moved around the room, straightening things and picking up stray glasses. Seth gulped the remaining whiskey in is glass.

Val wandered back over to him, on the pedestrian side of the bar. She picked up the bottle and refilled both their glasses. Then, she sat down sideways on the stool, facing him, close enough to touch him, but she didn't.

“Have you changed that bandage since Doc saw you?”

“No,” he answered. She held the increasingly heated gaze. The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable—if he was up to it, she would climb him like a tree. “I suppose I could use some help with that…”

 

###

 

“Which one is your favorite?”

Kate released the golden bloom in her hand and turned toward him. “They are all so lovely.” But the yellow ones were almost as large as her hand and their smell was like a burst of sunshine, even in the dead of night. “I don't know how anyone could choose.”

He reclined on a bench, beside a large, ornate fountain in the middle of the courtyard. “I thought you would like it.”

“I do,” she spun toward another large rose bush. Dark pink and white stripes ran down the petals, creating the most unusual patterns. She had never seen anything like it. They reminded her of _Alice in Wonderland,_ when the Red Queen made Alice paint the white roses red. Kate wandered between the bushes. “I’m glad you picked the lock.” There were thousands of rosebushes, hundreds of varieties and colors: red, pink, coral, orange, violet, and yellow. All of them were incredibly beautiful. “Are you sure there aren’t any cameras in here?”

“Yeah, I took care of it.”

She shook her head. “When I was younger, I never imagined breaking and entering would be the main event on my first real date with a man.”

“I didn't break anything.”

“Shut up, Richard.”

That wry little smirk fixed across his face as he rose off the bench. The rugged, dangerous man came toward her. She noticed the finesse of his movements and almost saw the snake within him. The quickening of her heart was immediate, because now that she’d been with him, she understood the ravenous want on his face.

“There’s only one thing missing…”

Richie stopped inches away from her. “What is that?”

“Music, so I can dance with you.”

“We don't need music for that.” He spun her around, pulling her into his arms properly. Slowly, he led her into a gentle sway from side to side. “We’ll just use the beat of your heart.”

She tilted her head up to his. “I had no idea you were such a sucker for the romantic stuff.”

“I’m a sucker for you, Kate.”

“Wow, a complete and total sap.”

“I’m going to remember you said that,” he teased.

“In all seriousness though, thank you, Richie, for taking me out tonight. I know it was a huge risk.”

“Its worth it.”

 

###

 

Val led him into the upstairs bathroom at the end of the hall. He leaned against the pedestal sink, while she dug through cabinets looking for the first aide kit. Seth whipped off his shirt, wondering if they would even make it to changing his bandages.

She turned around. The way her heavy gaze raked down his chest almost felt as if she had touched him. The bathroom was small and the air between them thickened, leaving little doubt as to where things were headed. It warmed him to the core. She was beautiful and it had been a long damn time since he felt wanted that way.

“Hey sweetheart,” he waggled a finger at her, “my eyes are up here.”

Her eyelashes fluttered. The corner of her mouth lifted as her eyes flicked to his; in the yellow bathroom lighting her hazel eyes looked dark, brown instead of their usual green. The gold ring around her iris took on a more amber cast, captivating him.

“Nice tattoo.”

Seth took the first aide kit from her and set it down. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. His lips pressed into that plush red pout and drew her into a hot, open-mouthed kiss. She pulled him close and his body responded to her softness. He threaded his fingers into her hair. It had been to fucking long…

“All those curves and me with no brakes…”

Passion escalated quickly.

In the next moment, their embrace was all tangled tongues and groping hands. Both puckered nipples mashed into his chest, sending radio signals straight to his groin. Seth cupped her ass, lifting her against him—and immediately regretted it. A tremor of pain shot through his side. He set her down on the edge of the porcelain basin.

“You’re not ready for this, baby.”

The breathless tone of her voice made his dick twitch. He grunted, “I can handle it.”

“I don't wanna hurt you more,” came out in little more than a ragged pant; both hands white-knuckled the edge of the sink. “Fucking ain’t worth any more ripped stitches.”

“Why don't you let me decide that. It won’t hurt me.” He knew that wasn't entirely true, but he didn't want to stop. “We’ll just have to be a little more careful that’s all.”

He reached for his zipper and yanked it down, giving her a visual of just how badly he wanted to continue. She dug her fingers into his waistband and pushed his pants and briefs down, at the same time. His reddened cock flopped forward, already a bead of cum weeping from the tip. Val scored her glossy red fingernails across his hips and drew her hand around to his dick. She wiped the bead with her middle finger and brought it to her mouth. Tasting him. Every muscle in his stomach clenched in anticipation.

“I’ve wanted you for a long time.”

“I know.” He hoped that sounded more confident than arrogant.

Seth leaned over her, balancing her weight on the sink, trying to avoid hitting the mirror. It took less than a minute to convince himself that if he didn't move around it wouldn’t hurt. He gripped her by the backs of her thighs and pushed her legs wider, opening her up. He let his fingers sweep across the apex of her thighs, feeling how damp her panties had become. Thumbing the edge, he let his fingers dip beneath to stroke her. He was going to ride her raw, feel every single inch of that pussy wrapped around him.

“Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?” suggested Val. “I’ll do all the heavy lifting.”

He shook his head, deciding she was wet enough already. “Here. Now.”

She angled her hips. He hooked the scrap of sodden cotton around his fingers and pushed it to the side, holding it out of the way. He stepped between her legs. Without preamble or any further foreplay he positioned them tip to core and sunk into her body. Balls deep. Both of them groaned. She was hot and wet and tight all around him.

He wasn't that gentle. He couldn't even wait for her body to adjust or summon the restraint to slow down. It was not without pain, but he didn't care. She felt good. Seth rocked his hips into a short pump, in and out. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and the bridge of his nose. He wanted this. God. He wanted her. Loosing himself in a beautiful, warm-blooded woman that wanted him back was a far better prospect than lying in that cold room jerking off to the passions of his brother and Kate.

His hips moved like a piston, methodical and even. She punctuated each movement with a breath, or moan, or curse, each one louder than the previous.

Seth could tell that Val wanted to return the thrusts, but her position on the edge of the sink prevented it. He rocked back abruptly and withdrew, and then jerked forward, stabbing back into her core.

He repeated the motion slowly, feeling the lance of pain through his side, and then backed off. Seth released his grip. He had to do this a another way… “Stand up. Turn around, put your hands on the sink.”

On shaky legs, Val stood and turned to face the mirror, leaning over the way he wanted.

Seth took his time positioning her. He tangled his fingers into her panties and slid them off her ass. One hand moved up her back and pushed her down further, so he had a decent view of her assets and could still see her face in the mirror’s reflection. His other hand clutched her hip, guiding her back toward his waiting cock. He kicked her foot out a little more, widening her stance. She hissed as he reentered and resumed thrusting.

His fingers sunk into her hips, the slap of her ass against his skin clapped through the bathroom, and their labored grunting rang in his ears.

Seth let his arms do most of the work to move her body. He alternated between short hard strokes and slow long ones, and that kept him focused on her, instead of the ache in his side. The jerk of his hips slapped her thighs into the basin and, if it was uncomfortable, she didn't complain. Val pushed back, trying to take him deeper.

It wasn't long before he had her worked into a frenzied state. Sweet babble came out of her mouth. There were more words, but all he heard was, “Make me cum, baby.”

The pace of his thrusts had become erratic. He felt the knowing tingle move through his sac, racing up the length of his shaft. She didn’t have to beg for shit with him so close as well. Seth snaked a hand around her waist, fingers finding her swollen clit with ease. He rolled the fleshy bundle between the pads of his fingertips, stroking in a quick circular motion. He added the little trick move Richie had shared with him a few years ago and it worked like a goddamn charm. She bucked against him, clenching all her muscles. It took some fucking effort to make a chick cum and it was worth the work—every time.

Her slick body showed almost no resistance to his presence, as he increased the pressure and speed of his fingers, pushing her over the precipice.

Val climaxed noisily.

Her orgasm drew out his. She shuddered, her muscles clenched and released involuntarily, while he gave in to the sensations of her body milking his. They watched each other in the mirror. He enjoyed the mix of pleasure and pain on her face and wished he could feel what she was feeling…

Seth stayed still, because he knew the pedestal sink was all that held her up. And, after another a long moment, he pulled out, realizing he should have done that ten minutes ago— _shit_.

Val slowly pushed up from the basin, still breathing hard. “God damn.”

They took some time, cleaning each other up. Neither of them bothered to get dressed again.

She checked his wound, which was fine, and changed his bandages. “There,” she said, pressing the fresh piece of tape into his skin. “All better.”

“You have no idea how much.”

She picked up their clothes from the floor. Val shook out his shirt and offered it to him. He didn't want it. Seth yanked her panties out if her hand instead, and balled them into his fist.

“Still a trophy hunter?”

He shook his head. “Not a trophy…just a little keepsake.”

A small smile arched her smudged red lips.

Seth wasn't done with her yet. There were still a few other things he wanted to do to her. When he asked her to stay, she agreed easily. Valerie clearly had some ideas of her own.

 

...


	14. Walk of Shame

  

“Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth. 

Richie broke the kiss and pressed back into the seat so he could see her face. Her sparkling eyes were dark and fixed on him. “I’m never going to get enough of you, Kate.”

“Yes you will.”

He shook his head. “Not. Ever.”

Kate hovered over him. With the tip of her tongue, she slowly traced the bow of his top lip, and then continued on, following the line across his bottom lip. Dipping the velvety softness into his mouth, she slid hers along his, and twisted them into a lingering kiss.

An unrepentant “I want you,” came out between deep kisses.

“So,” she flicked her tongue against his lips again, “have me.”

“I wasn't sure you’d be up to it after last night.”

Richie reached blindly for the lever to rock the seat back a bit and shifted into a more comfortable position. He rested a hand on each of her thighs, scrunching up the red fabric. He wasn't sure how, but the sensation of her silky thighs under his fingertips made him even harder.

“I am,” she purred. “I want you so bad.”

Kate pushed both hands between their bodies, tugging the button and pulling his zipper. She freed him from the restricting trousers and circled her fingers around his rigid shaft. Even after the events of the last few days, it still didn't feel real enough for him. This beautiful young woman _loved_ him. She had her fingers clenched around him, stroking hard. She was in his lap in the driver’s seat of a slick fucking car. He felt her weight. He inhaled her smell, but still barely believe it was really happening to him.

“Will there be enough room in here?”

He nodded.

“Ready?”

Richie grunted.

She shifted up to her knees and he helped her lower herself down his shaft.

Her fingers slid around his neck, gripping the back, so her wrist rested just at his pulse point. He felt it, knocking into him. Her sounds filled the car. The increase of her pant, the race of her pulse, her heart beating _for_ _him_ …

“Fuck.” Her body squeezed around him, tight and wet. The feeling was indescribable; the words did not exist in his vocabulary to describe the sensation of being _inside_ Kate Fuller.

She rolled her hips, trying to take control. Richie gripped tighter, guiding her movements as she worked into a short, swift pump. Her freehand swung up, fingers curling around the handle above the car door. She used it as leverage in the confined space.

Richie pushed his hands up her body—taking the red fabric with them. Kate clapped her hands over his, stilling them. She leaned against him, increasing the pace of her hips as she found her rhythm.

“Zipper—”

Richie let his hand drag up the length of her back, finding the pull, and yanked the zipper. He made it about halfway down her back, before she stopped him again. He didn't care. The dress loosened enough for him to get at those puffy pink nips. She rocked back and slightly upright; giving him the access he wanted. Both pastel nipples puckered before he even touched them—he fucking loved that. Richie closed his mouth over the first, tonguing the ruddy flesh to it’s full peak.

Kate mumbled something incoherent and arched into him, pivoting her pelvis to increase the friction. He released her breast. Richie planted his feet on the floorboard and thrust his thick cock into her, making her whimper.

The windows steamed. He pumped up; she slammed down meeting each hard stroke. The entire car rocked.

She arched back, keeping her tits within his reach, while she dug her fingers into his shoulders. Richie let his teeth graze against the round of her small breast. He fought the urge to sink his fangs into the fleshy globe.

He opened his mouth wider, resisting as his arms curled around her back, hands pressing into either shoulder, driving her body onto his. _Hard._ The primal sound that came out of her mouth sent chills down his spine.

She lifted his head. Her fingertips swept down his cheek and across his bottom lip. Kate fingered his fangs…and he almost blew his load. She wasn't afraid of them. The way she looked at him was almost too much; he shut his eyes against it.

He fought the familiar tightening surging through his sac, while she teased his mouth and her body squeezed around him. _Shit_. He didn't want to come yet, but knew he couldn't hold off much longer.

“Open your eyes.”

Richie released her shoulders, letting a hand slide to the front. He pinched a nipple between his fingers and Kate squealed. Then, he let his hand glide down her body. He rounded her hip and let his fingertips slide down to her mound. She jumped as his fingers swept over her oversensitive clit.

He opened his eyes for her, even though he knew they weren’t their usual blue…

“Oh!” she grunted. “Richie…”

Her eyes focused on his, holding his altered stare. The fact that the snake didn't scare her, the fact that she wanted to see him _that_ way, filled him with a riot of emotion that he had no clue how to express. She accepted him so easily. Kate always had. His eyes burned, and he felt like a fucking pussy when he realized tears were the cause.

Richie blinked them away and forced his fangs to retract.

He focused on her. He didn't have to do much. Her body stiffened and shuddered, as she gave in to the quake of her orgasm. She tightened her grip on him, her body pulling on his.

“Kate,” he cried out, giving in and thrust up hard. He spilled his essence into her body and they rode out their releases together, clinging to each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck, collapsing against him. He clung to her, sinking into the soft leather car seat.

She rubbed her cheek against his, drawing her mouth back to his.

Despite the tremendous release, his cock was still hard as fuck and somehow he had to get them up to the room like that…

Kate rocked back, sinking down his body and flush against him. She rolled her hips again, encasing every inch inside her. “You’re still hard?”

The repeated question made the corner of his mouth lift into a half-smile, as he gave her the same answer. “I still want you.”

She clenched, tightening her PC muscles on him. Kate rocked up on her knees again, this time coming off his shaft. Another sensation he’d never felt before ricocheted through him. Disconnecting from her body pained him—not merely a physical pain, it _hurt_ to break the connection with her. More unfamiliar emotions assaulted him. He blinked away the confusion.

Part of her was still human—her body was alive in a way that his wasn't, a functioning heart and breathing. But that was only part of her. What was the rest? She wasn't Culebra. As far as he knew, Kate had no real vampiric urges or traits. Maybe it was the blood? No doubt the _Santa Sangre_ had changed her, he knew it had to affect her in more ways than they knew, but didn't realize, until that moment, just how much. It was the only logical explanation he could come up with for the things he experienced with her.

“I don't know what you had to do,” she stayed in his lap as she straightened out her dress, “to get this car, but whatever it was, was worth it.”

He laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Seth will not share that opinion. I guaranty it.”

She smirked, turning slightly. “Do me up?”

“Kate…”

“Hmm?” she purred. She leaned over him, pressing her forehead into his.

“What does it feel like when I’m inside you?”

She nuzzled him. “There is pressure, as my body adjusts to yours. And this weird sensation of being stretched, heat—”

“Not what I mean…” Of course she couldn't answer. She had nothing to compare the experience to. “Nevermind.”

“Don't do that… tell me what you mean?”

“Not the physical feelings. How does it _feel…?_ ”

She rocked back. “Am I not doing it right?”

“Kate—no—you’re a fucking goddess. That’s the thing… what I feel is almost unbelievable with you.”

“Shouldn't…it…be? I’m pretty sure that’s _why_ you’re supposed to wait for someone you love.”

“I never thought that would be an option for me,” he said.

“Why would you ever think that? You are not unlovable, Richard. I know that there have been people in your life that have made you feel that way, but that was never your fault. Their issues are theirs. You have a heart and you have an amazing capacity for kindness and selflessness. I’ve seen it. You can be as selfless as you are selfish—it’s kind of amazing. You are the most human of any person I’ve ever met, which is ironic in this current state.”

A lump formed in his throat, he didn't know the appropriate response. He was overwhelmed and so full of love for her.

Her fingers swept his face, cradling his jaw. Both thumbs caressed his cheeks. “Like right now, with this concern and worry on your face, you look so vulnerable and innocent.”

“We both know I am neither of those things.”

“Right?! I feel so many different things all at once when I’m with you… I don't even know how to put that in words.”

He could relate.

“Now please,” she whispered. “Zip up my dress.”

The bar was long closed. No one would be there to see how disheveled they were, except maybe his brother. There was a chance he had waited up, but also the same chance he didn't. He pulled the zipper slowly, groping his way up her back. “I’m not sure why I’m zipping you up, this dress is coming off again in about two minutes.”

“Can we at least pretend we’re not animals for those two minutes?”

“No one is in there.”

“Are you going to walk in there like that?” She motioned to his still exposed genitals.

He feigned considering it. He felt pretty confident that Seth and Val were the only ones who could possibly still in the bar and he would totally walk in with his cock out—just to see their reaction.

“No, Richard.” Kate giggled. “Put it away.”

“Only if you promise to worship on your knees later.”

She leaned closer. “I promise. Now get dressed, the faster we get in there, the quicker we get to me worshipping at the Altar of Gecko.”

He liked the sound of that. “I love you, Kate.”

“And you’re an idiot.”

Richie let the smile play across his face, approving of the way their version of I love you sounded aloud. She pressed her lips into his cheek, lingering there as he tucked himself back into his clothing.

Kate opened the driver’s side door and climbed out over him. He followed, stretching to his full height. The car door closed with a soft click behind him. The DB9 was slick as fuck, he hated that he had to return it tomorrow. Seth would probably disembowel him if he actually bought it…

“That’s weird, Val’s car is still here…”

“What?” Richie turned. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, standing on end. Something drew his attention across the parking lot, beyond the car she pointed at. He instinctively pulled Kate closer, shifting his body in front of hers.

“Val is still here—what’s the matter?”

Then, it was gone. Whatever it was. “Nothing.” He scanned the perimeter again, slower. _Shit_. “Thought I saw something.” and that _something_ had been following them…

Richie walked her across the parking lot, keeping his protective stance. He didn't want to freak her out though, so he didn't say anything else. After she fell asleep, he would come back out and check things out.

 

###

 

They entered the back door. The hall light was on for them, but everything else was turned off. She half expected to find Val and Seth perched at the bar waiting for them, but they were not. It was dark in there and also in the kitchen.

She turned up the staircase with Richie tailing behind her. “I can feel you staring at my ass.”

“Can you blame me?”

Knocks and bangs echoed down the hallway as they reached the landing. She knew that knocking sound well after last night.

“Oh my god.” Kate clapped a hand over her mouth. She had thought Val was joking when she offered to run interference. She should have known better. “She did it!”

“What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing.” She whispered, “but I might have…made a small…suggestions while we were shopping. I didn't really think she would do it.”

Kate met his gaze, holding her impish smile. Richie studied her face and she wondered what he was looking for? A hint of regret? Obvious jealousy? Any hint of the green-eyed monster. He wouldn't find it… especially after their evening. Yeah, she had feeling for his brother too, but it wasn't the same. How could she make him understand that? Seth could and would make his own decisions and if he wanted some ass, he knew damn well how to get it. Of course, she had figured the ass would be _hers…_

She let her fingers drift against the wall as they walked toward their door. Kate listened to Seth grunt and groan and Val’s airy sounds. “Richie,” she grimaced and turned to him. “Do you think we were that loud?”

“Oh yeah,” he answered.

The hint of wickedness in his smile amused her and totally killed any embarrassment she might have felt otherwise. “I guess that explains the way Seth acted this morning.” she glanced back at the door as she followed Richie into their room. “I hope we don't have to call Doc in the morning.”

 

###

 

It was early. Kate slowly inched away from the sleeping form beside her, but didn't get away unnoticed. His large hand flattened against her stomach, pulling her back into his muscled chest. “Richie,” she squirmed, “let me go, I have to pee.”

“What time is it?”

“Still dark, go back to sleep.”

“Not till I’ve got your ass back in this bed.”

“I’ll just be a minute.” She kissed him and he let her go.

Kate picked up his shirt from the floor and slipped into it, making her way to the door. She quietly crept into the hallway and toward the bathroom at the end of the hall.

As she reached for the handle the door swung open. Hard yellow light and dark hazel eyes connected with hers.

“Hey.”

“Hey, sugar.” Val stepped out, clothed only in the shirt Seth had been wearing earlier. She smiled. “How was the big date?”

“Wonderful. More than I could have hoped for… How’s Seth?”

“I wore him out.”

She and Val shared a laugh. Kate clapped a hand over her mouth as the giggles got louder. Seth needed to be worn out, and he needed it with no commitments and no emotions.

“Kate?”

Her head whipped back toward the sound of her name. Richie leaned against the doorjamb, strategically holding the door in front of his body, while still managing to reveal how naked he was. Kate stepped into the bathroom. “Go get back in bed.”

“You said a minute,” he said softly. “I’m cold.”

She had no doubt that was true.

His stare shifted to the other woman standing in the hall, in front of the opposite door. “Fancy meeting you here, Val.”

“Richard.”

“Nice night, eh?”

She smiled. “It is.”

The other door jerked open. “Valerie…” Seth’s arm hooked around her waist. “What are you—oh…hey guys,” he said, forcing the greeting out. “Well, this is not awkward at all.”

Both she and Val laughed again. Seth was not amused. Richie watched silently as she disappeared into the bathroom. Their deep voices muffled through the door, but she didn't pay attention to the conversation. Kate took care of business and was not at all surprised to find him still waiting when she opened the door again.

“Did they go back to bed?”

He nodded and let the door stand open, revealing himself.

Kate let her eyes rake across his tawny flesh. Her eyes lingered on him. Even flaccid, she found it unexpectedly appealing. She didn't know what she had expected to see when he actually took off his pants, but the image had always been something she associated with one of those ugly sea creatures that lived deep in the ocean. Instead, it was delicate and soft, nestled in a sparse thatch of manicured dark hair.

She pressed into him, her head reaching only to his mid-chest. She let a hand drop down his body, fondling him.

“You’re insatiable, Katie.”

“And you love it.”

A lustful smile spread across his face.

She pushed him back into the room and closed the door. “I did promise to worship you…and I’m a girl who keeps her promises.”

 

###

 

When he was sure she had fallen asleep, Richie rolled up into a seated position. She shifted, seeking him, but settled into the warm space where his body had been. He picked up his pants and slipped them on. He pushed his glasses onto his face and slipped into his shirt, a waft of almond and honey invaded his nostrils. She wore his shirt for less than two minutes and all he could smell was her… He hastily buttoned, but his appearance was the least of his concerns, at the moment.

Richie quietly slipped out of the room.

He hoped it was nothing. Paranoia. He that hoped when he went outside he didn't find a single fucking thing. Having something on their ass was the last thing they needed. The other part of him hoped he did find something. A little unchecked violence might balance out his current emotional state.

Quietly, he opened the door and slipped into the darkness…

 

...


	15. Half-What?

 

 

He felt good—Val was fucking wild. Even at the risk of pain, it was just the thing he needed. Everyone was sleeping when he left to pick up some breakfast. Even Richie, he supposed. He didn't require that much sleep, but since he and Kate became a thing, his brother had been sleeping more. Though, he guessed that had more to do with lying next to Kate, than actually needing to sleep. 

Seth returned to the bar half an hour later with a familiar brown paper bag from a nearby drive-thru.

His brother sat at a table by himself with his hair disheveled and his glasses askew. He hadn’t even bothered to get dressed properly. His shirt was untucked and with buttons in all the wrong holes. Richie had a chair overturned on the table, working the leg back into the bottom of the seat.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Fixing the chair. Grabbed it too hard and fucking broke it.”

“Broke it?” Seth shook his head.

He tossed the bag down on the table by his brother and went back upstairs, bumping the door to his room open. The room was empty. His ego deflated a bit. He had hoped she would stay with him for a while this morning, but he wasn't wholly surprised that she’d left. It’s not like they were together. It was just some long overdue sex…

Seth went back down stairs, taking two at a time. “Where’s Val?”

“Gone.”

“Gone?”

“Yes, Seth. Gone.”

He fucking figured that out by himself already. He gripped the back of the chair and hunched over his brother, “What does ‘ _gone’_ mean, Richard?”

Richie unwrapped the foil wrapper on his breakfast burrito and took a bite. “Adjective.” He chewed, setting it down again. “Means no longer present or departed.”

“Smartass, you know what I mean. Where did she go?”

“After her walk of shame? Home, I would guess, to change her clothes.” A mischievous grin played across his brother’s face, as he set the chair back on the floor. “Don’t worry, brother, she’ll come back. They always come back for you.”

“Are you alright?” He sat down across from Richie and grabbed a burrito for himself. “You look like shit.”

“Tired.”

It was almost eleven. “It’s fucking late for you, I’m surprised you’re still up.”

He got the sense that the reason for his tiredness was more than Kate becoming a nympho overnight. Richie had a hard time turning his days and nights around to give the appearance of a semi-normal schedule, but he managed as long as he could avoid the brightest part of the day. Luckily, with the bar schedule, Val came in pretty late too, so it didn't come off that strange.

Seth didn't even have to ask his next question, before Richie volunteered the answer.

“Something tailed us last night, I don't know what. I’m not talking cops or Rangers. Something not exactly human, I sensed it.”

Just when he thought they might actually catch a fucking break. “Great. Something—what? What is it?”

“I don't know. I didn't see it. I was more than a little distracted last night. I can’t say how long it followed us, or when it started.” He picked at his burrito, not eating it. “I waited until Kate fell asleep, then went out to look for it… I didn't find anything useful. I kept watch while you were asleep, but whatever it is, I think it’s also nocturnal.”

“Where is Kate?”

Richie motioned to the stairs. “Still sleeping, I think.”

“Nope,” her voice carried into the room. “Kate’s awake.”

“Referring to yourself in third person is a sign of poor mental health, Princess. Just saying.”

“We all know I’m the most grounded one here, so really what does that say about you, Gecko?” She stuck her tongue out at him as she shuffled through the beaded curtains and over to Richie. Kate pressed a kiss to his forehead and sat down in the newly fixed chair beside him.

Obviously she heard at least part of their conversations, Seth wondered how much she might have overheard. If Richie felt it was best to wait until she fell asleep to go out last night, it was safe to assume he felt threatened, but did not want to involve her.

“Is there coffee?”

Both of them answered, “Kitchen.”

Richie watched her get up and move into the other room, and Seth watched his brother. He had it bad _and_ he still had doubts. He couldn’t take those focused blue eyes off the petite brunette. Seth tried to remember the first time he felt those kinds of emotions for another person, real actual love—and _knowing_ it was love. Stuff like that was always difficult for Richie. It wasn't any wonder that he asked for a little solo time with her.

Kate came back into the bar, carrying a mug. She blew on the steam and sauntered back over to his brother.

“So,” she slid into his lap. “What did you find?”

“What?”

“You said you didn't find anything _useful,_ that implies you did find something.”

“Just the spot where they were squatting, trampled plants and broken branches and bushes. Nothing useful. But they’ve been watching. I waited for a while, but they didn't come back last night.”

Seth grumbled, “It's a _they_ now?”

“I don't know what it is.”

She slid her knuckles down his cheek. “You didn't feed enough.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re pale.”

“I’m just tired.”

Kate’s fingers made easy work of the button strip on his shirt, undoing them and redoing them. “Who taught you how to button a freaking shirt?”

“Seth.”

He pointed. “Fuck you.”

Richie wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “I need to sleep. Then, I’m going to go back out there and find this thing and fucking kill it… Wake me at dusk?”

She nodded.

His brother whispered, “I love you.”

A sweet smile teased across her lips. Her reply, however, confused him. Kate responded not with I love you back, but _“You’re an idiot.”_

He would have to remember to ask Richie about that later. Kate sought out his mouth and the kiss went from chaste to pornographic in two seconds flat. Seth leaned back in the chair, catching a glimpse of tongue here and there. They were intense together, and _hot_ , which was quite an accomplishment for someone who didn't have a body temperature above 75 degrees anymore. _They’re inhuman…_ Perhaps watching could be enough for him? He had the urge to watch sometimes, but had never considered himself a true voyeur—he wanted to watch them.

_Inhuman_.

Richie went upstairs.

_Not human anymore…_

“So…”

“So?”

“You and Val, huh?”

He passed her a burrito, sort of hoping she wouldn't press him into that conversation. The long and short of it was she had no expectations, she liked to have a good time, and she wanted him. He didn't feel the need to explain himself to her or anyone else. “Funny how life works out sometimes.”

“I like her,” said Kate.

“So you’re okay then?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

A multitude of reasons came to mind. Perhaps she didn't share them? Or she was so wrapped up in Richie that it didn't compute?

Seth waited a minute before he spoke again. “I have a question, and it’s probably inappropriate, but there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about.”

She exhaled. “Yes.”

“What?”

“Whatever you’re about to ask…yes. Big dick, amazing fuck—all of it. _Yes_.”

His jaw clenched. “Not what I was gonna ask.”

“You said inappropriate…”

“Not that kind of inappropriate. I was just thinking about my brother and his strength…and you…and I was wondering if he ever…or has he ever…I mean like this morning Richie accidentally broke that chair you’re sitting in without intending to, he breaks doors all the time misjudging his strength, he tore free of rope right in front of me back at—”

She interrupted, “Are you asking if he hurts me?”

He didn't like the look on her face at all. Kate looked like she was about to vomit fire. “No, not…and yes…I know that he would never intentionally hurt you, Princess, but his strength and his lack of self control sometimes, all the Culebra shit…its not a hard stretch to picture him getting carried away like that.”

“Richie has never hurt me, Seth. Not ever. Not when he was human, and never as a Culebra.”

“So he holds back?”

“No. I don't want him to hold back with me. Emotionally or physically.”

“And you don't think that’s weird, with his physical strength, that he doesn't hurt you at all? Not even by accident.”

“I…didn’t.” Concern etched into her features. “What are you trying to get at?”

“I don't know. Recently it occurred to me…” _that you’re not human anymore either_. It didn't feel right to just blurt that out. Instead, he stuck out his hand. “Squeeze my hand.”

“What?”

“Just fucking do it.” She rolled her eyes and humored him, curling her fingers around his. “Don't hold back either, give it all you got.”

His fingers mashed together as she slowly began to squeeze, knuckles popping. Seth steeled himself, trying not to react as she tightened her grip even more. It appeared effortless on her part. He slid out of the chair, falling to his knees in front of her, as crippling pain shot through his hand into his forearm.

 

###

 

“We _need_ to talk.” Seth motioned toward the back door as his brother came downstairs just after dusk. “You and me. Now.”

Richie took out his cigarettes and followed him out back. There were a few cars in the lot, but they were alone as far as Seth could tell. He led his brother toward the rear, by the dumpster, out of the way and out of any direct streetlights. Val was due to return at any minute and he did not want to have this conversation in front of her—or Kate.

“So…what’s the matter? What happened?”

“Its about Kate.”

“What?” Richie’s demeanor changed immediately. “Where is she? What happened?”

Seth gripped his arm and set a hand on his chest. “Calm down, Kate’s fine.”

“Did something happen while I was asleep?”

“We just talked… now don't get upset, buddy.”

Richie already looked annoyed. “Don't get upset about what?”

“I was kinda curious, so I asked about your…strength…you know. I’ve seen what you can do, like with the fucking chair earlier, and I wanted to know how she handles that stuff since you’ve gotten…intimate.”

The expression on his brother’s face became unreadable—almost robotic, as if all this time he had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and this was it. “And?”

He supposed for Richie, Kate’s answer could potentially kill his hopes of something semi-normal. Not that he had anything to worry about, not from where he was standing. “She didn't know what I was talking about.”

“I would never hurt her, Seth. Ever.”

“I know that! What I mean is, your strength wasn't a concern—it’s something that doesn't even cross her mind.”

The tension in Richie’s shoulders melted away. “So?”

“Don’t you think it should, Richard?”

“Would you stop being so fucking cryptic and say what you mean?”

“I made her grab my hand.”

“Okay.”

Richie’s sudden lack of concern about this irritated him. “How can I explain this in a way you’ll understand…” he thought for a moment and exhaled. “You know that scene in _Superman II_ , where Lex Luthor leads the baddies to The Fortress of Solitude and Superman reverses the molecular chamber and knowingly takes away General Zod’s powers, instead of his own, and then Zod tells Superman to kneel again and swear his eternal loyalty…”

“Yeah.”

“And then he crushes his fucking hand lifting him off the ground, throws him across the fortress, and he falls into that big crevice?”

“Yeah,” repeated Richie.

“It was like that…without the throwing. She didn't throw me.”

“So,” a wry little smile lifted Richie’s lips, “you’re saying Kate has _Super_ strength?”

“Yeah and I suppose you don't notice because Kate isn’t exactly the aggressive type and you’re strong too.”

“That explains a lot actually.” The wry smile arched into a full shit-eating grin. “The way she shoved me down and climbed on top of—”

“Later, Richard— _Why?_ Why does she have super strength? Did you bite her? Slip some venom while you were excited?”

“No.” The hard edge to his voice was definitive. “I refused to bite her when she asked for it.”

_She had asked for it?_ Heat banged through his body—a weird mix of anger and a clap of jealousy. How could she ask for such a thing? And also, if she went through with it, where the hell would that leave him? He didn't know how to deal with the conflict of emotions that simple sentence stirred. “Jesus, Richard.”

“I won’t do it.”

Seth let his shoulders sag as the realization struck him. “Someday you will, you’ll have to…” Those blue eyes shifted downward. It surprised him that Richie didn't seem to want that for her. He figured his brother would be all for turning her as soon as possible—that would keep her with him eternally. “What else?”

Richie shot him a blank look.

“You said it explained a lot.”

“Uh,” he stammered. “Sex with her is…”

Seth waved a hand. “I don't need to know about that.” Christ, he couldn't even think about _that_ right now. “What else?”

“Her sense of smell, but I thought that had more to do with me… sometimes she can smell blood on me, hours after I’ve fed and even after I’ve showered. I didn't really think anything of it; it’s my main source of nourishment. I figured she just smelled the iron.”

“And that doesn't bother her at all either.”

“No—the opposite, actually…”

Seth grunted. So she liked the smell? The more his brother said, the more right he thought he was about the whole thing.

“Her vision is better. Her hearing is amplified. Sometimes she even gets a sense about things.”

“So it’s basically heightened senses? If it wasn't caused by a bite or venom… What the fuck is it?”

Richie gnawed his bottom lip. “Leftovers.”

Seth scratched his scruffy jaw. “What the fuck does that mean? I feel like I’ve been asking that goddamn question all day.”

“You know how I told you blood is the conduit of the soul?”

“Yes…”

“Blood brought Kate back. The _Santa Sangre_ , Amaru, even your blood. Yours, as far as we know, is the only stuff that wasn't tainted in some way. But she never got venom, the blood is what brought her back.”

“Kate is not a bloodsucker.”

“No. Not fully. She doesn't need to drink it to live.”

He didn't like where all this seemed to be going. “So what are we talking? She’s like…half?”

“Demi-vamp?” Richie shrugged. “Is she okay?”

“No. Not really.” Seth held his brother’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to upset her, she knows I didn't…but,”

“Don't worry about it. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“How?”

He lifted his left hand. “My freaky Culebra shit.”

Valerie’s car pulled into the parking lot. Seth cringed as she haphazardly drove between parked cars and pulled into a spot. How was he going to deal with her behind the wheel of _his_ car? She killed the engine and flashed him a 100-watt smile.

“Did you talk to her about Mexico yet?”

Seth shook his head.

“You need to do it soon.”

He knew that. He bet she knew that too. Fuck. They all knew.

“I’m gonna go find Kate.” He gestured a hello at Val and she waved him off.

Those hips swayed as she approached, knocking side to side. Seth let his gaze follow the frilly dress as it fluttered around her. They didn’t really have the time to spare, especially with this new development, but he wanted one more night with her before dealing with their inevitable trip across the border. Still, the more she knew the better…

“Hey baby.”

“You _ditched_ me.”

“Don't be mad,” she cooed. “It takes a lot of effort to look this flawless all the time. I didn't want to kill the illusion… Things feel a little tense out here, you boys all right?”

“Richie and I worked it out.”

“Oh,” she said, arching those painted red lips together.

“It’s nothing like that,” explained Seth. “He thinks he might have picked up a tail last night.”

She tried to keep her expression steady, but it didn't quite work. Her eyes gave her away. “So…you’ll be on your way then?”

“Soon.”

 

...


	16. In the Blood

 

 

“Kate?” He could smell her, but she wasn't in the room. After a squeak and rattle of pipes, the chug of water began. Richie slid out of the room and headed toward the bathroom. 

He knocked and softened his voice, “Katie?”

She didn't answer him right away, but a soft “Come in.” muffled through the wood.

He wrapped his fingers around the knob and slowly opened the door. He didn't need extra-sensory perception to know that she was upset and dealing with upset females was not a particular talent he possessed. Richie closed the door and leaned into it. Kate stood under the tepid stream, letting the water pelt her skin. She didn't look at him. _Wouldn't._

Richie didn't feel the need to fill the space with more noise, so he stayed silent. Kate would talk when she was ready and she didn't make him wait very long.

“I. Hurt. Seth… Richie, I _hurt_ him.”

He sat down on the toilet seat, watching her stillness through the clear plastic curtain. “You didn't. Seth is fine, Kate.”

Strands of dark hair swung around her face as she shook her head. “You did not see what happened.”

“I just had a whole conversation with him, I’m telling you, he’s okay.”

Kate lifted her head and pulled the shower curtain open, but only enough to see him clearly without getting water all over the floor from the spray. Beads of water slid over her skin. He watched them roll from her clavicle, down and around the swell of her breasts, to the round that he _still_ wanted to bite. The droplets careened down to her abdomen, streaking across her hips. His eyes lingered on the light purple marks speckled across her flesh. _Fingermarks._ From his fingers _…_

His lips parted. “I _did_ hurt you,” came out of his mouth in a gasp.

“No.” She covered the marks with her own hands, knowing exactly what he referred to. “No you didn't. You didn't hurt me.”

“Kate—”

“I promise,” she said. “You didn't.”

“There are fucking bruises.”

“Sex bruises are not the same as other kinds of bruises and you know that.” A slight smile touched her lips. “They don't hurt at all and they’re fading pretty fast actually.”

His gaze flicked away from the purpled marks and back to hers. His glasses steamed up from the heat. “How fast?”

“I d-don't know…they were dark purple this morning, now they’re almost gone. Its not a big deal, Richie.”

But it was. She had accelerated healing, too. It wasn't as fast as his, but she definitely had it. “You have strength and you have acute hearing and smell. Now you’re healing…” He fingered the black frame of his glasses before pulling them off. “What else?”

Her lips parted and there was a shake of her head, but not a full negative. She didn't need him to tell her, she put all the pieces together by herself. “What do you mean, what else? Isn’t that enough?”

He could see each new thought and fear flicker across her face, and each one freaked her the fuck out.

“But I don't have the snake…I can go out in the sun. Richie, how did this happen? Is this Amaru?”

“Not specifically. The Blood Well, if I had to guess.”

“God,” she shut the water off. “Is that why you smell so good? Is that why I crave the taste of you?”

No one had ever said anything like that about him before. “You crave me?”

“Focus, Richie.” She grabbed a towel from the rack and started to dry off. “I don't need blood, there is no…thirst.”

“Maybe you do?”

“What?”

“You obviously don't need as much blood as I do, but maybe you do need something?” His stomach began to ache and turn. “Maybe that’s the real reason you want me? Maybe I fulfill some need without even knowing it. Maybe—”

“Don't be stupid.” She wrapped the towel around her body.

“I smell like blood, Kate. You’ve said it yourself sometimes I taste like blood. Blood is _key_.”

“That is not the reason I want you.” She turned toward him. “I wanted you before, or do you not remember that?”

“That was part of the manipulation.”

“No, baby… Yeah. She used us.” Kate stalked over to him. “She got us all there. She may have stacked us up like pieces on a chessboard. But, Richie, that is _not_ why I kissed you and I know that is not why you kissed me back. That was you and me.”

“And _you_ wanted the keys to the RV.”

“Yeah, I wanted the keys,” she agreed. “And I could have gotten them without trying to seduce you, couldn't I?”

He didn't answer. He didn't want her to leave, but they both knew he absolutely would have given her the keys to the RV, eventually. Facing the wrath of Seth was really the only reason he didn't—it wasn't his call.

“I kissed you because I wanted to. I _felt_ it and I’ll admit, it confused the hell out of me. But, Richie, when I think about that moment now, I still want it.”

They had never talked about that kiss. He never wanted to. Talking about it had the potential to kill everything that kept it pure, untainted. They had never really talked about anything that had happened before. Part of him wanted to leave it all buried in the desert, let sleeping dogs lie, so to speak, but the other part of him wanted to know if any of it had been real for her. He wanted to know if she had ever gotten to that place where she could feel what he felt. And she had just given him his answer. _She did. She felt it too._

He didn't quite know how to process that.

She stepped between his legs and her smooth damp hands cupped around his jaw. Kate tilted his face up to hers. “After last night, why would you even question how I feel about you?”

“I don't question it, Kate.”

“But you don't completely trust it either?” She stepped away from him, jerking the door open and exiting the steamy bathroom.

Richie watched her march back into their room. Seth and Kate were the only people he trusted unconditionally. He licked his lips, deciding that he should tell her the fear eating away at him. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

 

###

 

“Richie—” It made her angry to see him in doubt. Where had that confident son of bitch from last night gone? She understood why Seth freaked out. She was understandably freaked herself, but Richie? He should have been the one who totally got this. The way he smelled made him a little more appetizing, but it wasn't the sole reason she wanted him. If anything supernatural had made her want him, it was seeing into his soul, to the very heart of him.

He came into the room, closing the door behind him. “Sometimes it feels like this is a dream and I might wake up any minute and find myself in a straightjacket on the floor, where I learn that none of this ever happened. There is no Seth. There is no Kate. There is no Richie…just rubble and ash. Whatever is left of me—”

She blinked and shook her head, as he sat down on the bed.

“It’s so good with you… not just the sex, all of it. Sometimes it doesn't feel real, you know?” he quietly admitted. “And if this is not real…”

It would drive him insane. _For real_ … She couldn't blame him. One supernatural being fed him vision and vision, driving him to the brink of insanity, as he tried to find her, and led him into a pseudo-relationship that neither of them were ready for. The other tortured him and made him actually crazy, using their memories and feelings for each other to do it—using her face. Richie didn't really trust his own feelings or his mind, at the moment…

“I guess I’m not the only one living with nightmares, huh?” Kate tossed the towel and sauntered over to him. She cupped his jaw and pressed her mouth softly into his. The other hand gripped his, pushing his meaty palm against her breast. “Don't I feel real?”

“Yes,” he grunted.

“You’re not crazy, Richie. You never were.”

He squeezed. “I don't know about that.”

“Loose cannon—definitely, wild, unpredictable, reactionary…but not crazy.” Which was his greatest fear, that he was not some genius prodigy, just some nutty motherfucker waving a loaded gun around. “Do you hear me, Richard?”

“Yeah.”

He didn't look convinced, but that didn't matter. She would tell him as many times as it took to get through that thick skull. “You didn't take that car back yet, did you?”

“No, not yet. I will in a bit, when I go out.”

Kate arched back. “Can I go with you?”

He hesitated.

Richie seemed to understand her request wasn't about the car, but going _hunting_. He normally hunted alone and she was asking to go with him. She knew he didn't want her to see him like that. But if he was right about the blood, she wanted to know sooner rather than later. “Please, take me with you.”

“Why would you want to come?”

“To test your theory.”

His nod was slight, but it was definitely in the affirmative. “But you have to wear more than this.”

 

...


	17. Straight Razor Shave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry i missed posting on Thursday guys - i'm trying really hard to stick to posting on Tuesday & Thursday, but it was a crazy week and this chapter wasn't completely ready yet. It wasn't really going where i wanted...
> 
> but my personal motto is 'when all else fails, add smut' so...
> 
> Any editing mistakes are all mine, sorry.

 

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

He drummed his fingers across the mahogany. “Would I do that?”

Val arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him, repeating what he had just said in staccato. “You want me to drive you across the border in the trunk?”

He deserved every inch of the incredulous expression on her face. “Yeah.”

“You want me to drive your car, while you ride in your own fucking trunk?”

“Unless you’ve got a better suggestion, that’s the plan.”

She shifted her weight between her legs. “What about your brother and Kate?”

“They’re gonna risk the footbridge. Kate should be fine—her face isn’t plastered all over the state, and Richie has a…disguise…planned.” Seth met her hazel eyes. “I figured going alone would be best, draw no attention at all, versus having Richie go off half-cocked halfway through. If he’s with Kate, he’s less likely to do something stupid. Then we’ll meet on the other side… Or at the cathedral, if things do go bad.”

“Certainly sounds like the simplest option.”

Seth shook his head. “It’s stupid.”

“No—”

“You think it’s a stupid plan,” he grumbled. “Well it’s Richie’s plan, so…”

“It’s fine, baby.” Her fingertips swept over his, glossy red nails scored against his fingers, between his index and middle fingers, and he felt it in his goddamn groin. “You just need a backup is all…in case. I got a friend, a sometimes-Coyote.”

Seth scrubbed the other hand down his face, rubbing the gritty stubble covering his cheek. He hadn’t realized how thick it had gotten over the last few days. “If it comes down to that, we’ll do it.”

“He could take you out to the mountain in the morning and have you in Juarez in time for an afternoon siesta.”

_Hike?_ Not if he could help it. “No daylight. And definitely not broad daylight.”

“Why?”

He pointed at his own face to explain that one. The fact that Richie could only be in the sun covered from head to fucking toe would be too difficult to explain to her and the Coyote friend. “I would rather not chance being recognized… and that would still present the problem of transportation once we’re in Mexico.”

“You love that damn car too much.” The arch of her lips fell and a more somber expression took hold, as she leaned on the bar. “You…planning on doing this tonight?”

His gaze connected with hers. “No. In the next day or two.”

Her expression didn't change. “And you’re sure?”

“We’ve got to move.” He let his fingers tangle with hers. “Before we cause you any trouble.”

“I’m used to trouble.”

“Not like this,” he said. “I don't want to see anything happen to you, or your business, Valerie. People who stay around us too long have a habit of losing everything they care about.” He shut his mouth. That was more honest than he wanted to be…

Her thick eyelashes fluttered as those hazel eyes studied him. “Ok. I’ll drive you over. On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You let me shave that fucking pelt off your face.”

He chortled and scratched at it again. Honestly, he couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper shave. A week and a half, at least? More than that… He probably looked like _Grizzly Adams_. “It is a little out of control, isn’t it?”

“A little? Understatement of the week.” She laughed.

“Now?”

“If you like.”

“Now is good.” Seth stood up, holding his hand out to her. Val came around the bar and slid her fingers into his.

The clink of beads drew his attention. Looming at his full height, Richie came through the doorway, refreshed and properly dressed. He looked much better than he had this morning. Kate followed close behind. She also looked much better than the last time he had seen her. She dropped his brother’s hand and rushed him, wrapping both arms around him. Her grip was tight, but he could feel her trying to control it.

“I’m sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to—”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know, Princess. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Kate and Val exchanged pleasantries, commenting on each other’s dresses. He assumed the items were new and had been purchased on their shopping adventure yesterday.

“Going somewhere?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “ _Out_ … I’m taking Kate out.”

His gaze shifted from his brother to her. “Out?” He couldn't believe his fucking ears. Out, for Richie, meant hunting. He was going to go out to kill something for it’s blood. Why the hell would he take Kate?

“Be back in a bit.”

“Wait,” he grunted. He hated being out of the goddamn loop. “How long will you be gone?”

“Not long,” Richie said, as he led her toward the door. “Maybe an hour-ish… depends on how long it takes to bring the car back.”

“Car?” He spun around. “What car?”

Neither of them answered. They shared an amused glance and exited the door. Apparently, their own private joke, and he was not amused. He _hated_ that shit. He wasn't the odd man out. This wasn't how they operated. Once they were back on the road, and it was just the three of them, that bullshit was going to stop!

Seth stared at the back of the closed door. “What fucking car?”

Val laughed again. “Didn't you notice baby? That flashy sports car parked in the back of the lot? Your brother rented it to take Kate out.”

“He did what?”

“You really didn't see it? Glossy. Black. You walked right past it earlier.”

“Yeah, I saw a car, but didn't think anything of it…” He felt nauseous. _That_ car? “Richie rented a fucking Aston Martin for a _date?_ Does that sonofabitch think he’s James Bond now?” He could only imagine how much that had cost them. What the hell was that whackjob thinking? “Jesus. And you knew about this?”

“He was upset when you wouldn't let him use the car, so he figured something out. Not really my business, ya know.” She shrugged and stepped into him, standing close enough that he could smell the vanilla and lavender of her shampoo, but she didn't touch him. “The bar doesn't open for an hour and a half… We don't have a hell of a lot of time left, as it is, so why don't you forget about your brother and the car and focus on me for a while.”

“Well aren’t you just full of good ideas today…”

Val led him through the doorway and toward the staircase. He followed her up the stairs as she took him back into the bathroom—back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. His body responded as each erotic memory from the last twelve hours bombarded him.

From the cabinet, she removed a mug and brush, a small white tub and bottle, a leather strap, and a razor. It looked old. A coil of filigree decorated the side. Seth picked up the pill bottle from the counter and opened it. He shook a pill into his hand and popped it into his mouth.

Silver glinted off the blade as she opened it, to show him. “It was my daddy’s.”

“You sure you wanna use that on me?”

“I don't think he would mind.” She turned the hot water tap and filled the mug with warm water, and then plunked the hard-bristled shave brush into it. “Now strip.”

The corner of his mouth arched up. “So bossy.”

“I realize you’re used to having control over every situation, but this is my deal, comprende?”

Amused, he reached for the buttons on his shirt. Seth remembered then that he had crawled out of bed and threw his clothes on when he left to get breakfast this morning. Between _Super_ Kate and his brother, he never did make it into the shower.

Val perched on the basin, repeating every erotic image he had stored in his brain of pounding into her, on that very sink. She picked up the brush and flicked it into the sink, expelling the excess water, and dumped out the mug.

“I’m going to hop in the shower, while you do that,” he nodded to the leather strop. “Unless…you’d care to join me? Wash my back?”

“Mmm,” she set the brush and mug down. “So very tempting… but this is fresh make-up, baby.”

He stepped between her legs. “And you don't need any of it.”

An angelic smile flashed across her face.

“You know you’re gorgeous.”

She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Both hands slid down his chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscle. “You always know just the right thing to say, don't you?”

“Just one of the many services I offer.”

The soft pads of her fingertips dipped into the line running down the middle of his abdomen, to the bandage she had put on him the previous evening. All the muscles in his abdomen clenched and released as she gently peeled the tape away.

“Stitches look good. You’ll probably have a little scar, but Doc did you right. How do you feel?”

“Fine.”

Val fingered his waistband. She undid the button and used both hands to unzip, groping him as she lowered the pull. His pants pooled at his ankles as she shoved them off his hips, and his briefs landed on top of them.

He leaned in for a smooch, but she turned back to the shaving tools. “Get in the shower. Tick tock, baby.”

Seth stepped out of his clothes and climbed in. The hot water sliding across his skin felt good. He scrubbed his face.

While he was in the shower Val hooked the worn brown strop to the doorknob and pulled it taut. He watched her through the plastic curtain. She ran the blade across the leather until it made a rasping sound and began to drag. Then, she picked up the little tub and scooped a dollop of the cream into the mug. Working it with the brush in a circular motion, she added squirts of hot water until she had the shaving cream worked into a fluffy, warm lather.

He washed and rinsed his body. Seth turned the water off and stepped into the steamy room. Beads of water dripped down his torso as he took the towel from the bar and patted his face dry. He pushed the towel down his chest, and then wrapped it around his hips.

“Come sit down, baby.”

Seth sat where she told him, on the closed toilet seat. Val stepped between his legs and began to apply the foamy lather with a gentle, circular motion, spreading it across his jaw, cheeks, upper lip, and neck. He let his hands drift up her thighs in a light sweep. She dropped the brush back into the mug and picked up the razor.

“Stop it,” she hissed. “I won’t be able concentrate if you do that.”

“Sorry sweetheart,” he apologized insincerely. “Couldn't help myself.”

His dick swelled harder and he wondered _how?_ This chick had a fucking knife in her hand, which she planned to scrape across his face and neck—and he was exited about it. He was hard as fuck. If he ever had any doubts about his trust in her, they were belayed by that simple act.

She maneuvered the blade, wrapping her thumb and index finger around the shank, and brought both hands up to his face. “You ready, sugar?”

He nodded. “Make it close.” That way, no matter how his face brushed hers, there wouldn't be any scratchy stubble, just glassy, smooth skin.

She pressed her fingers high on his cheek to stretch the skin, and then pressed the edge of the razor to his skin. With light pressure, she made the first swipe down his face. It was smooth, almost effortless— _obviously not her first time doing this…_ She moved on from his cheek, to his jaw, and then his neck, making the same light swipe across the span of his jaw, until she completed the first pass.

“Feels nice.”

“I’m glad.” Val rinsed the blade and picked up the cup of shaving cream, beginning the lathering process again. “I like being able to do something for you.”

“You’ve done a lot for me… I won’t forget it.”

She applied the second round of lather to his face, in the same manor as she had the first, and began to shave his face again, _across the grain_ this time.

His fingers trailed up her inner thigh as she completed the second pass, slipping beneath the leg band of her thong.

“Seth—” Val rinsed the blade under the warm stream of water, enjoying the tease of his fingers for a minute.

She worked the lathered and spread it across his face for the last time.

“Don't move, baby.”

He stilled his fingers, but left his hand where it was. This time he had to be on his best behavior. This final pass was against the grain and took the most concentration. If he distracted her, she would cut the shit out of him.

The blade scraped across his face. The contrast of her warm touch and the cold steel blade kept him on edge.

Once she finished, Seth stood up, and splashed his face with cool water. He pulled the towel from his waist and patted his skin dry. She rinsed the blade and brush and set them to dry. Val picked up the last bottle and squeezed a dollop into her hands. She worked the glycerin and rosewater aftershave into his skin.

“Smells good,” he grunted.

She nodded her agreement, eyeing his naked body.

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth into hers. She indulged for a moment, sliding her tongue against his, and drew back. His name came out of her mouth in a breathy moan, but he didn't let her pull away. Both his hands threaded into her hair, urging her on.

“We don't have enough time—”

He interrupted, “We do. Resistance is futile…don’t even try.”

Val’s airy giggle vibrated against his bottom lip. “Am I about to be assimilated?”

“No.” Seth lifted her body against his, both hands sinking into her muscled ass. This time it didn't hurt at all. “You should prepare to be boarded.”

“I never would have pegged you as a trekkie, Seth Gecko.”

“What? I’m not a—” He balked, pressing her into the wall. He shifted her weight and pulled her dress up over her hips. “So I’ve seen it a few times,” but he could tell she didn't buy that. “Now you know my darkest secret.”

“Don't worry, love.” She arched into him. “I won’t tell anyone you’re really a geek.”

“Good,” he said. “You know there would be severe punishment if you were to spread that around.”

“Oh, are we talking timeouts and spankings or whips and chains?” she pressed her pelvis into his. “I need to know how to dress.”

His eyes fluttered shut as she rubbed against him, the damp sateen created a delicious friction. “Dressing wont be necessary.”

“I beg to differ. With a spank you’d get my bare ass, bent over your lap and ready for a good, hard hand. With whips and chains you’d get a really tight leather bustier, a g-string, and thigh-high patent leather boots, if you’re lucky. Dressing makes all the difference in the world.”

“I see your point.” His mouth came down on hers again.

He carried her into the room and kicked the door shut. He pressed her against the hard wood and tangled his fingers into the fabric at her core, tearing the thin material out of his way.

She reflexively tilted her pelvis, in line with his, and he impaled her, right there.

“Jesus, Seth!” she cried.

Her arms locked around his neck, as he stumbled toward the bed. His hands dug into her ass and thigh.

She was wet enough to take him, but he hadn’t given her any warning. Her body fluttered around his. She clenched hard and he almost came. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

He dropped her down to the mattress and adjusted his grip, moving his arms so her legs rested in the crook of his elbows. This was going to be quick and dirty and he couldn't fucking wait any longer…

 

...


	18. Not Culebras

 

 

“No.” Richie stopped in the middle of the wide sidewalk. “And not just no—fuck no!” 

She spun toward him. “Why not?”

He adjusted his glassed, righting them on the bridge of his nose. “You’re not ready, Kate, there is no way in hell. No. Forget it.”

“I know what you’re doing. But you don't need to.” She pawed at him, curling her fingers around the skinny black tie dangling from his neck. “Let me help you. I can help you!”

“No. You want to help? Tell me about your last nightmare?”

How could he ask that? She pouted. “You know what it was about.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, “ _I do_ … and you’re not ready to confront those feelings. Not yet. I’m not going to force that on you either.”

“It’s been months…maybe I should?”

“I don't want you anywhere near this thing.”

The shuttle from the rental place dropped them off two blocks from _Val’s Bar_ , per Richie’s request, and he slow walk back was part of the hunt. It gave them time to find sustenance and lure out the creature tailing them. If he had his way, he would accomplish both in one shot. He was antsy and on edge. Kate wasn't sure if that had to do with his current feelings of insecurity or the impending threat of this thing. She chose not to make light of either. Her only goal was to try and help and he seemed to know more than he was saying.

“Give me one good reason why not.”

His gaze raked over her face, as he thought. “You don't have fangs.”

She held his sultry stare. “I don't need them.”

“You might.”

“So bite me and I’ll have some.”

He stepped closer to her, but his posture stayed rigid. “Even if you did have them, I would never let you play _bait_ for whatever this fucking things is.”

“But you’ll be right there with me.” She rocked up on her tiptoes and swayed into him, which did little to decrease their height difference. “You can protect me.”

“Kate—” his voice broke. “I couldn't keep you alive when I _knew_ the threat. We don't know what it wants and, until we figure that out, you’re not leaving my sight…” He swept her hair away from her face with his fingers, grazing her cheek. “I won’t risk your life like that again. Ever.”

“But you’ll risk yours.”

“Better me than you,” he whispered.

“No!” she pushed into him and he stepped back with the momentum. “You don't get to play that way anymore, Richard. Culebra or not, if you think, for a moment, I would knowingly let you walk into anything that even resembles certain death you really are an idiot.”

“Kate—”

“Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?” He didn't, of course. The whole relationship thing was still new for him—three months with another immortal didn't even compare to this. Everything about it was different, and because it was so different, Kate actually considered this his first real relationship. “You are not expendable. You don't get to go off the rails and risk your life, because you don't think it matters if something happens to you. Not any more! Your life matters to me, it matters very much to Seth—”

“I know it matters.” He leaned against the hood of an anonymous car parked on the street, making himself eyelevel with her. “You think I don't understand that, but I do… I always calculate the risks. _Always_. Granted, I might be doing it in the heat of the moment. But if a situation comes down to my life or yours, I’m always going to remove the threat to you first. I’m always going to try and save you first. You need to figure out how to accept that, because that is how this works.”

Even if it killed him, he meant every single word. Emotions hit her like a Mack Truck, her gut twisted and tears rimmed her eyes. “You would die for me?”

He answered without hesitation, “In a heartbeat.”

“You know I’d do the same for you, don't you?”

His expression softened. “And Seth, too.”

She nodded.

“That’s why the three of us work.”

Kate blinked the forming tears away and cleared her throat. “That is exactly why we are going to do this together, Richie, or not at all.”

His lips pursed into a little smirk. “Because we’re better together?”

“And don't you fucking forget it!"

He pushed off the car and swept her into his arms. Richie leaned in; his lips a whisper away… but he turned his head to the left and her lips connected with his jaw.

Kate followed his sightline, peering deep into a row of dark bushes and trees. She didn't see anything but darkness. “Is it there?”

“Yeah. So much for making plans…”

“I thought confronting it was your plan?”

“It is,” he confirmed.

“ _Was_ ,” she corrected.

His eyes darted back to hers. She could tell by looking at him that some smartass comment was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't say it. “Did you bring the gun I gave you?”

“No…” and she felt stupid for not thinking of that, after all they had been through. She knew better! Richie reached into his pocket, while keeping her close, and pressed a hard rectangular object into her hand. She knew was it was without even looking at it. “Richie, no!”

“Don't argue, Kate.”

She squeezed her fingers around the bone hilt, feeling the grooves of the eye pattern press into her fingertips. “I’m not going to leave you weaponless—”

He cut her off with a quick, hard kiss. “You’re not, I’ve got my colt… if anything comes at you, don't think, don't hesitate, just swipe and stab.”

The singe of sulfur burned her nostrils. “Do you smell that?”

“Yeah. It’s close, closer than it got last night.” He gripped her around the waist a little tighter. “I’ve got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours.”

“Because that’s what we do.” His smile was slight, but there. “Do you remember those moves I taught you when we were in that shitbag motel outside San Antonio?”

Heat rushed her cheeks. “The _mount_ position is permanently burned into my memory.”

That day was full of firsts. He had tried to coach her on a few more basic self-defense moves, in case she found herself without a gun, or had it taken away, or wound up in a position she did not want to be in. He had insisted that she really hit him, knowing that it wouldn't actually hurt him. And the harder she hit him, the more it had turned him on. While he attempted to demonstrate ways to get out of a few common holds, she overcorrected and wound up beneath him, lost in a feral gaze. The lesson had quickly devolved into the beginnings of their physical relationship. Their first really intense kiss followed, their first full on grope session, and also the first time he made her cum. In his hands, she felt more alive than she ever had in her life.

“I don't think I’ll ever forget that day, Richie.”

“Mmm,” he purred, obviously remembering the same moment. “Let me rephrase… do you remember the _fight_ moves?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now,” he whispered. “This is what we’re going to do… We’re gonna lead it away from the public street and head down that alley, see if that will draw it out. Then—” He paused and the strangest expression fixed across his face and he squeezed his left hand closed.

“What? What is it?”

“It's Xibalban.”

 

###

 

Val picked up her thong, inspecting the sheer, torn fabric. “You’re so hard on my underwear.”

He cleared his throat. Seth yanked them out of her hand and shoved them into the pocket of the black jeans he put on. “You mean _my_ underwear _.”_

She exhaled and sucked her teeth, and then walked over to the chest of drawers beneath the window. He watched her slim fingers curl around the pulls and slide the top drawer out. She plucked from it another, much less glamorous, pair of panties. His gaze followed as she stepped into them and drew the soft white cotton up her legs.

“Have those been there this whole time?”

“My secret stash.” Val smoothed her dress out, checking her reflection in the mirror. “This is my room, Seth. If I get too hammered and can’t drive, or don't feel like being at home, I crash here.”

He slipped the t-shirt over his head and glanced around the room he had called home for the last few days. Only then did notice the small touches and personal effects. “You knew from the start where this was gonna go, didn't you?”

“How could I know that?” she said. “I can’t deny wanting it… Even soaked in blood and in pain, you have a certain appeal. But I put you in here because it was convenient, when you got here, you weren’t in any condition to plan for more.”

He didn't have a single regret about hooking up with her _. Not one._

The innocuous jingle of bells cut in. It took him almost half a minute to realize the obnoxious noise was the ring of his burn phone.

“You should get that, I have to let the girls in.”

He spun around and yanked his jacket off the back of the chair, patting his pockets. Seth realized he had not checked his messages for at least three days. Not that he would have many; the main people he cared about having constant contact with were there with him. “Shit.” He read the screen. “It’s Kate’s brother."

Val nodded, pecking his lips, and left to go open her bar.

He answered. “Scott?”

 _“Seth? Finally.”_ A relieved breath muffled through the receiver. _“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you assholes for days.”_

“Sorry. Ran into a little trouble.”

_“No shit. They’re splashing your faces all over the place. After everything—why the fuck would you go back to robbing banks?”_

He didn't have a good answer for that, so he said nothing.

_“They think you were wounded at the scene, but you sound all right, are you all right? Two more cops died. They want your ass, bad.”_

“Do they? I’m flattered… and I’m fine, it was a flesh wound.”

_“I tried calling Kate, but it goes straight to voicemail.”_

“She’s fine. She’s with Richie now.”

_“Whoa, whoa, whoa…with Richie, like with?”_

“Out with him…” He covered, not wanting to open that can of worms. He also chose not to say anything about their newfound discoveries regarding his sister. In fact, he thought it would be better to just steer the conversation away from them all together. “Where the hell are you?”

 _“Laredo,”_ he answered. _“We have a gig.”_

“Cool. So, the band thing…it’s still good?”

_“Yeah, it’s great.”_

He could actually hear Scott smile over the phone. “Good. Glad life is working out for you.”

_“Listen Seth, I called to check in, but also to warn you. I heard some talk a few days ago…something weird.”_

“Oh? What’s that?”

_“Ever heard of a Howler Demon?”_

“Can’t say I have.”

_“Well… they’re pretty nasty—and by nasty I mean gross. Slimy, I guess. Richie has all of Sex Machine’s books, so he can look it up. Anyway, I heard some talk about how a few scouts found a way out and they are here…on this plain, and they want something.”_

“What the fuck do they want?”

_“I dunno, but they’re relentless. They won’t stop until they find whatever they came for.”_

“How many?”

_“I don't know.”_

“Maybe you can help me out here, Jimi Hendrix, what the hell does that have to do with me and my brother?”

_“With the whole ‘Hero Twin’ thing, I figure it won't be long until you guys get dragged into it somehow… My sister is with you, whatever threatens you is a threat to her.”_

“Nothing is going to happen to Kate.”

_“When you say it, I almost believe you.”_

“Thanks for the heads up, kid.”

_“Yeah. Tell Kate I miss her, I’ll try and call again soon.”_

“I will.” Seth ended the call and sighed to the empty room. “I thought we were past this shit.” The thing Richie picked up had to be one of them…all of them? What else would pursue them like that? But what the hell could it want? He paced, unsure what the next move should be. “Never thought I’d actually _want_ to talk to Sex Machine… Shit.”

 

...


	19. Triggered

 

 

“Culebras?” 

“No. It's some kind of demon.”

“It can’t be Xibalban. The gate is closed! We were there. We saw it. We made it happen. Nothing can get in or out now.”

Her heart pounded, echoing like thunder in his ears.

“I know. You need to calm down.” He slid his hand up the back of her arm, feeling her body being to tremble. Instant panic. Any mention of that bloody hellpit sent her right back into it, mentally. When she was still angry it was so much easier to handle. She had no control of it now. “Kate—”

“Calm down?”

“Yes.”

“Don't tell me to calm down!”

He had wanted to shield her from this. She was determined to fight back, but she wasn't ready yet. The almost nightly nightmares of that place were bad enough. That was why he went out alone to find it in the first place. His own PTSD was nothing compared to hers and they both knew it. She preferred to avoid dealing with Xibalba and everything connected to it. He didn't agree with the method, but didn’t push her.

Kate started to babble, almost intelligibly. They did not have time for her to have a panic attack.

Richie drew her closer, wrapping his arm around her—trying to be soothing. “Maybe it’s me?” he said. “Maybe it just senses me, like I sense it. Keep in mind that we have no idea what this things wants. Maybe it’s just stuck here? Maybe—”

“No,” Kate shouted. “It’s after us!”

She curled her fingers into his jacket, clutching him hard. He had hoped to alleviate the situation for her, but diverting the attention to himself didn't seem to work. Her breathing was erratic and quick, verging on hyperventilation.

“Things are never that simple when it comes to _that_ place, Richard.”

“Look at me,” he hooked her jaw with his fingers and tilted that beautiful, frightened face up toward his. “It’s going to be fine. So, it’s Xibalban. That means my knife can kill it. Worst case, we have to get close enough to jam this blade through its fucking head. We’re covered.”

She pressed it into his chest. “Then you should keep it.” He covered her hand with his. “It’s your weapon of choice, you have a connection with it that I don't. It obeys to you. I’ve seen how you use it.”

The smell of sulfur grew stronger and a low growl filtered through the air around them.

“Fine. We need to go, right now.” He took the knife back. “Come on…” Richie said, leading her off the sidewalk and toward the alley, as he planned.

It was way too close and if it knew Kate was in the process of freaking out, it might strike sooner than he anticipated. He needed to gain some kind of leverage over the fucking thing, and quickly, because at the moment, it knew more about them and their habits than they knew about it. He stayed a step behind Kate, between her and the demon tailing them.

Distraction was the only thing he could think of to snap her out of this and he said the first thing that came to mind. “Really, how bad can it be? All it did was watch us fuck.”

“Oh my god,” her breath hitched and her pulse spiked.

And distraction was a fail. Next move— “If you don't want my knife, then you get my gun. Pick right now.”

“Gun,” she answered.

“Good girl.” Richie drew the gun from the back of his waistband and smoothly passed it to her. “Just like we practiced.”

His left hand tingled and burned as the eye manifested in the middle of his palm. She was going to be fucking pissed at him, but he would deal with any fallout later.

“Breathe, Kate.”

She sucked in air.

He cuffed her arm and spun her back toward him, as they moved into the alley. Kate bounced into him, the gun caught between their bodies. He lifted his arm and softly brought his hand down on top of her head.

“I’ve got you,” he reassured. Every single emotion she’d been feeling hit him like a spear to the gut, he could barely sort one from the other. “Listen… You have to calm down, baby…focus on my voice, okay…listen to me… You have a gun and you’re a great shot. The fact that this thing came from Xibalba doesn't mean dick, it’s no different than dusting a Culebra. Relax and breathe. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere. This is your moment to use everything that fucking hell-bitch gave you, so _use_ it. Don't hold back. Kick its ass! Do you hear me?”

Kate mouthed, “Yes.”

“You’re strong and confident and I fucking love you. If that thing comes anywhere near you—shoot it in the head.”

Her heart still raced, but her breathing started to even out. Her body went lax against him. Richie broke the connection, lifting his hand from her head, before he got lost in a barrage of her memories. He stroked her silky hair.

Kate inhaled, pulling air into her lungs. Those green eyes found his. “Richie?” She blinked. “Did you just mindfuck me?”

“Later, Kate.”

She pushed out of his grasp and tightened her grip on the gun, aiming just behind him. “Richie.”

He turned around and jerked her behind him instinctively, blocking her petite body with his much larger one.

Not one fucking demon… _Three_.

Richie shifted into a defensive stance and palmed the knife, the onyx blade shot up from the hilt.

Three gaunt, white-skinned beings stood in front of them. The demons stared them down, staggered and menacing. They were humanoid, but had no real features, save a mouthful of sharp teeth. No hair anywhere. No nose, just reptilian slits. The eyes were sunken and shapeless, but also lizard-like in a way.

He had no fucking idea what they were, but he determined to find out. “What do you want?”

They didn't speak. He wasn't sure they could. Barking howls and low growling noises were the only sounds they made. They looked moist, covered in some kind of film, or slimy goo.

The one closest to him snarled, drooling, and snapped its teeth.

Kate’s heartbeat spiked, but outwardly she remained poised and kept the gun trained on the little beast.

The two other demons flanked the first guy and, together, all three of them rushed toward he and Kate.

Richie lunged forward, sweeping his leg into a roundhouse. His foot connected with its plushy stomach. He punched the second and moved in on the one in the middle. They didn't stay down long. He only had one goal at the moment, which was to keep them away from Kate.

If there had been one he could have taken the thing out easily, they were strong, not quite as strong as him. There were too many claws coming at him all at once. Taking all of them three could be tricky. He shuffled his feet, punting the first one into the third. _Again_. It fucking bounced.

Claws sunk into his side. He arched back and swung forward, bashing the one on his right in the head. It dropped back and he lost track of it, while the other two attacked him.

Richie punched and blocked. The creatures didn't seem to have any real fight, relying mostly on their teeth and claws to do damage. He hoped killing them would be as easy.

“Don't you touch me!” yelled Kate.

He punched one in the throat and as it choked, Richie glanced back at her. The awol demon had moved on to her. Taunting. Hopping around in front of her. Intimidating. She kept the gun on it, but for whatever reason, had not yet pulled the trigger.

Claws swiped at his face. Richie ducked away from them, but did not come out unscathed. Blood slid down his cheek. He aimed his knife and swiped it across its abdomen. Gouging hard. He jerked his arm back, sinking the Xibalban blade into its side.

“Hit him, babe.”

She hesitated for a split second more, flipping the gun in her hand. Her thin arm stretched back and slung forward, bashing it in the face with the butt of the gun. It whimpered and slunk back.

“Now shoot him!”

She did.

_Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!_

Four shots echoed through the alley, bursting like fireworks. Bullets whizzed around him. He felt their heat.

Every single bullet missed the creature standing directly in front of her.

The demon digging into his left side raked his claws into his arm as it flung backwards, taking two of the wayward bullets. It landed on it’s back and howled painfully, rolling over. It scampered away, oozing a trail of bloody goo across the alleyway.

He juggled the Xibalban knife. He plunged the blade into the first demons sternum. It roared and rushed him again. Rearing back, his fist sunk into the side of his head. Richie shook it off and grabbed it. He pulled the little fucker forward and swung his leg up high, cracking the demon in the face with his knee.

Another shot rang out.

Richie heard the high-pitched hiss of the bullet. Grunts and tearing fabric followed. And then sharp pain lanced through his upper abdomen. He gasped, stumbling backwards with the force of the projectile. His hand flew to the wound. Blood gushed across the front of his chest, sliding though his fingers.

“No! Oh Jesus! Richie—” squealed Kate.

The creature dropped in front of him and muddy looking goo seeped from the bullet hole tunneled through its chest, bleeding across the asphalt. It twitched and choked on its own blood, and then stilled.

The remaining demon and the wounded one ran away.

“Kate,” he groaned as he sunk to the ground.

She ran. Hands outstretched, Kate dropped to her knees and slammed into him. “No! I'm sorry!” her fingers covered his, adding more pressure onto the fresh bullet wound. “Oh, Jesus. I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!”

“You fucking shot me?”

 

...


	20. Vitae

 

 

Kate adjusted her grip. Her eyes widened as she realized the thumping beneath her hands was his heart. _Beating_. “Richie! Your heart…your heart is…”

“It’s fine,” he choked. 

Blood gushed from the wound at an alarming rate. He wasn't human, but from the way it bled, one wouldn't have known it. Richie dropped back, flat against the asphalt.

“I’m fine.”

The pained look on his face brought tears to her eyes. “No you’re not!” She covered the flow with both hands and applied as much pressure as she could manage. The erratic rhythm continued. _Definitely a beating heart…_ The tears spilled from her eyes, she didn't fight them. “It’s bleeding too much! Why is it bleeding so much? Seth didn't bleed this much!”

His bloody hand clasped on top of hers. His lips parted and his tongue swept across his full bottom lip. “Culebra, remember? It’s going to be fine. But I think it hit—” He gasped.

“What?”

“Hurts. Hydrostatic shock,” Richie grunted.

“Oh god!”

“It’s normal.”

His body seemed to be reacting as expected to the bullet wound, despite his altered state of being. She supposed he was right and that it was normal, but it didn't make her feel any better.

“What did the bullet hit, Richard?”

“Aorta.”

Granted the majority of her medical knowledge came from _Grey’s Anatomy,_ but she knew the Aorta meant a lot of blood loss in a matter of minutes. “Oh, Jesus, you’re gonna die!”

His lips curled into a completely inappropriate smile. “I’ll die a little bit.”

“That’s not funny!” Kate wanted to hit him, shake him. The wound was so close to his heart—it could have actually dusted him. “What does that even mean?”

“It means my body,” he rasped. “Might die.”

“Is that why your heart is beating?”

He nodded, stiffly.

“No!” she plead, “I can’t do that…I can’t watch you die, Richie. Please!”

“If I could control it…I would. Not a real death, you know… I’ll come right back… promise.” Blood coated his lips and teeth. “I’ll be okay. Just need blood to heal.”

“Take mine.”

“No,” he grunted.

He panted, more as a compulsory response, than for any need of air. The beads of sweat across his face and neck mixed with blood. She wanted to wipe it away, but didn't move her hands from his chest. Color drained from his face. The normal blush of life faded, the light in his eyes dulled. If he were human, he would be dead.

“Don’t…don't die.” Even though she _knew_ he would not actually die, her brain could not process that information. She had seen him heal from wounds. She had seen him heal _quickly._ But now all she saw then was the man she loved, bleeding out all over the ground—dying in front of her. “Richard, please don't do this!”

“Kate,” his breathing slowed. “s’ f..ine.”

“No, no, no.” She shook him. “Open your fucking mouth and bite me!”

His lips moved, but no sound came out.

“Richard.” She let go of his chest and climbed on top of him. Blood spurted up, splashing the front of her dress with a dark crimson glob. Kate yanked the dress and bra straps off her shoulder and picked up his Xibalban blade. “Take my blood, I want you to. Take some right now.”

It had to be somewhere easily hidden. She raised the knife to the middle of her chest. On her throat or wrist, it would be seen and questioned. They couldn't have questions. She squealed as she cut into the inside of her left breast, close to her heart. Kate leaned over him, letting her blood drizzle across his face and lips.

“Come on, Richie…come on.”

Her blood trickled across his lips. He slowly licked them. He made a noise in the back of his throat and opened his mouth.

“That’s it,” she urged.

The cut stung, but she didn't care. He needed blood and she had some to give. His head arched back as his mouth opened wider. The snake-like maxilla appeared, fangs far from menacing, at the moment. Richie nuzzled into the valley between her breasts, toward the dripping wound.

She cradled his head, pressing him to her. His fangs grazed her skin as he lapped at the cut, but he didn't stay there. A hand came up, pulling at her bra cup. He tilted his head, nosing the soft globe. He didn't strike. As gently as he could, Richie sunk his fangs into the round of her breast below her nipple.

Kate gasped as his fangs pierced her skin.

Once the initial sting was over, she felt the pull, felt her life force seeping from her body. Heat spiraled from his mouth, through her limbs. Her heart pounded so hard, it thundered in her ears. Her stomach clenched and released, coiling as sensations built. Until then, she had considered the act a necessary evil for him, but the only word she could think of to describe it was _erotic_. She pressed her knees into his sides to quell the ache that erupted through her core. It didn't work. Her breathing roughened and her head grew light.

“Ohh,” she moaned. “Oh, Richie…”

His hand slid up her outer thigh to her hip. Kate whimpered when his fangs retracted. He sucked and lapped against the wound he’d made, caressing it with his tongue, making a soft cooing moan she had never heard from him before.

Richie’s teeth appeared, dragging across the tender skin and grazed her nipple. Then he sat up, shifting her into his lap. He lifted his head, lips crushing hers. The blood on his lips—her blood—was electrifying. Little jolts here, a shock there. It reminded her of licking a battery on a dare when she was younger.

 _God. He was right…_ She wanted blood. It was sweeter than anything she had ever tasted, but came with a rush of tartness and tang. She felt drunk and dizzy, kissing him harder.

“Your blood—” He groaned as her teeth sunk into his bottom lip.

Kate broke the kiss, rocking in his lap. Breathing hard. He still looked too pale. He had lost a massive amount of blood and what he took from her wasn't enough to replace it. He needed more. She pressed her bloody hands into his chest, yanking his shirt open.

The bullet hole had already begun to close, but the area was still bloody and red. “You heal so fast.” It was a hard thing to get used to. “I don't understand what just happened.”

“High caliber, closer range. Those things are like punching a doll, I’m not surprised the bullet tore through it and hit me. Wasn't your fault.”

“I mean the blood, Richie… How can you bleed like that? You didn't bleed like that when Freddie shot you. Your arm didn't bleed like that last week.”

“That was different, mortal and also not an artery. We should get out of here, before they decide to come back.”

“No,” she didn't move a muscle. “I need you to explain this to me.”

“We don't have time for this, Katie.”

“Just talk. I need to hear your voice, okay? So could you not argue and just talk to me the way that you do.” His throaty whisper would calm her down faster than anything else, it always did. “Please.”

“Okay,” he sighed. “What should I talk about?”

“I don't care,” she whispered. “I just want to hear your voice, okay.” She pressed into him. “Tell me about the blood.”

“It’s not really that interesting.”

The pace of her heart didn't ease. “Tell me anyway.”

His arms closed around her. “You’ve noticed some of my organs that require blood still function pretty well…”

Heat prickled across her cheeks. “Yeah, you could say I noticed.”

“That’s because there is still blood in my body, it still circulates.”

She understood that. When Seth punched him, he bled. When he got cut in a fight, it bled. Without some kind of circulation, that wouldn't happen. Dead things don't bleed. 

“As a Culebra, my body no longer makes blood on it’s own, but it still requires it to function—that's a curse of the Lords and also why we have the bloodlust. But snakes, and a few other reptiles, have a little…tweak…to their cardiovascular and circulatory systems. Blood passes through the kidney’s first, not the heart, and then gets dispersed to the rest of the body. The blood gets absorbed in a different way. Arteries included.”

She rocked back, so she could look at his face. “So your heart beats when you feed or when you’re hurt, to help move that blood around so you can heal quickly?” But he didn't need the muscle to pump to keep his body alive. The gift of immortality provided actual life.

“Basically.” Those blue eyes lingered on her lips. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah, now.” She had panicked. A new Xibalban threat sent her spiraling out of control, after she all but demanded that they do things together. She felt like an idiot. He was right about that too—she wasn't ready to face it. Kate righted his glasses and cupped his face. “I’m sorry, Richie. I panicked and I froze.”

“Don't apologize. You’ll be ready next time.” He jostled her, shifting his legs so he could get to his feet. “Sorry about your dress.”

“I don't care about the dress.” She helped him, as he lumbered to his full height. He swayed into her, still lightheaded. Kate wrapped her arms around his middle to help steady him. “You need more blood, baby.”

He nodded.

“Then lets go get you some… Richie,”

“What?”

She gnawed her bottom lip. “I want more too…but I don't want some random stranger…or a dark soul.”

“What do you want?”

“You… I want to taste you. Your blood.”

 

...


	21. There Will Be Blood

 

 

“Mmm, I can see why you’ve kept this one to yourself, Valerie,” said the rather buxom blonde standing to his right. She gave him a lascivious glance and a wink, before turning back to the bartender. “I could ride him all the way home.” 

Seth tried his best to say nothing and keep the smile plastered across his lips. Dangerously close to blatantly insulting one of Val’s customers to her face. He pushed his sleeve back and scanned his watch-face. Richie said an hour _-ish_. And it was going on almost three. Where the hell were they?

She pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder and met the blonde’s stare with an amused smile. “Don't fall for those puppy dog eyes, sugar. He’s a heartbreaker.”

“Ugh. Aren’t they all?”

Val gave her the requested beer, and then refreshed his whiskey. She sidled up to him, draping a lithe arm around his shoulders, and gave his glassy-smooth cheek a nuzzle, before pressing a kiss to his mouth—effectively marking him as her territory for the other woman. “Can I getcha anything else, baby?”

The blonde thanked her and waddled back to her table of girlfriends.

“I thought you were gonna pee on me for a minute.”

She smiled. “Next time…”

He returned the smile. “I owe you one.”

“Yeah you do,” she agreed. “And don't think I won’t collect.”

Seth narrowed his eyes seductively at her and pursed his lips into a slight smirk. He could only imagine what she had in mind. “That's a debt I’ll be happy to repay and I believe you know it.”

Her soft lips meshed into his again, only briefly. She stepped back, moving to help another waiting customer. Valerie Vega had been an excellent distraction, but she made him want _things_ … things that had never worked out in the past. Things he had given up a long time ago, because his brother was more important to him. It was a dangerous position to be in and the sooner he left it behind the better.

The bar was lively and everyone appeared in good spirits. If it were a movie, this would be the moment just before the big bad appeared with its hammer of chaos and fucked everything all to hell. He shoved the thought away. This was not a movie and they were fine. Everything was fine. They just had to make it through another day or two without any major new developments and they’d be home free. On a beach. In Mexico.

He heard the backdoor slam hard, it echoed above the ruckus of the bar, and he had been waiting for it. Seth checked his watch again. “Finally.”

“Fucking rabbits, I swear.”

“Huh?” he glanced at Val.

She nodded over his shoulder and he turned to look.

Richie held Kate in his arms. Her legs were locked around his waist with his fingers sunk into her ass. The dress pulled tight around those perfectly rounded limbs. The fronts of their bodies pressed tight. Her arms laced around his neck and their mouths fused together. Without relinquishing her lips, he blindly made his way over to the staircase. Richie shifted her body, and a large splash of crimson caught his eye.

Seth got up from the barstool.

“Hey,” she cooed. “Cool it, beefcake. Give ‘em a minute.”

“I will…I just need to know about details…the tail situation. He’s been gone for three fucking hours—he owes me that much.”

Val thought she knew exactly what he was up to and, any other time, she would have been spot on. “Mmm hmm.”

“Three hours, Valerie. I’ll be right back down.” He passed through the beaded curtain and headed straight up the staircase. Seth moved down the hall, toward the room his brother and Kate had been sharing.

_“You taste so good.”_

He rapped his knuckles against the hollow wood, but didn't wait for an answer. His fingers hooked around the knob and gave it a twist. The door fell open, giving him an eyeful of his brother and Kate still going at it. They were all over each other, except now the dress she’d been wearing pooled in a heap on the floor and Richie’s blood-soaked shirt was completely unbuttoned. The intensity between them was raw and thick. He could have cut that shit with a knife.

“Where the fuck have you two been?” His voice sounded parental as it rang in his ears. He hated that, but he also couldn't help it. “I’ve been worried sick.”

He broke the heated kiss, a bit reluctantly. When Richie turned he saw the full extent of the damage. All the cuts and bruises would be gone in a matter of minutes. They were covered in sticky dark red blood. More blood than usual for a feeding—even as messy as his brother could be.

Richie righted his glasses. “Fighting fucking demons.”

It was more blood than a fight with a regular demon would produce. Seth understood immediately that the makeout grope session through the backdoor was a ploy to hide the damage from prying eyes and get in the bar without anyone stopping them on the way upstairs.

“All this blood is from a demon?”

Richie tossed the shirt of the floor, on top of the dress. He sat down on the edge of the bed, heavily like he was having a hard time controlling his own body. “No…not all of it.”

“If it’s not from a demon, who’s it is, Richard?”

“It doesn't matter.”

“Yes it does,” interjected Kate. Picking up a towel, she began to clean blood off Richie. “Three demons showed up and I freaked out and in the middle of it I shot your brother.”

Scott’s phone call echoed through his head. Seth glanced between them, trying not to leer at her in her stained undergarments. “Three?”

“Yeah. Killed one, wounded another, and then it and the other one ran off.”

“You shot Richie?”

He pulled his glasses off his face. “It wasn't her fault.”

“I shot _it,”_ she clarified, “and hit Richie too.”

Seth scanned the clothes and the blood covering them. “This much blood?”

“She’s a good shot,” said Richie, with a prideful smirk.

“It was an accident and very traumatic and I just need a few minutes alone with your brother to…work through some things. Then, we’ll come down and explain everything, after we get cleaned up. Okay?”

_Work through some things—_ he didn't need a translation. Jeopardy always brought lovers together in a powerful way. She was going to fuck his goddamn brains out. He grunted, “Fine.”

“Good.”

“And they’re Howler Demons,” Seth blurted out. “We have to find out what they want, that’s why they’re here. They want something.”

Richie cocked his head. “How the fuck do you know that?”

“Scott called to check in, gave me a heads up, which you would know about if you hadn’t been gone for three fucking hours.”

“Scott called?” Kate perked up. “Is he coming here?”

“Nah, he’s in Laredo.” He glanced between them again. His eye caught the gash on her chest peeking out from the blood-speckled cup of her bra. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how she got that particular cut. “I’ll tell you all about it when you come down. I’m going to go,” he waggled his fingers back at the door. “I’ll be downstairs. Don't take too long.” He opened the door and stepped out into the hall. “And bring Professor Whackjob’s books with you, we’re gonna need them.”

 

###

 

Richie took the towel out of her hands and searched for a clean spot, because if he didn't do something he was going to start kissing her again and not stop. He still had the taste of her in his mouth. He blotted the blood off her cheek. Clean up would go a hell of a lot faster if they just got in the shower. His body stirred with that thought, and he wasn't sure how much actual cleaning would get done.

“Come on, Kate.”

He stood up, taking her hand, and led her to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her toiletries were still in the shower, from before. He grabbed a few fresh towels and shut the door.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “I look like Bloody Mary right now.”

He turned the shower spigot, adjusting the water temperature. “Don't. Even. Think. About. It.”

“I’m not gonna say it.” A smile teased the corner of her mouth. She turned toward him. “You’re not scared are you?”

“No,” he shot back. “But vampires and demons are real—god knows what else is. Now is probably not a good time to start testing Urban Legends too.”

“Oh my god…you are. You’re scared?”

He stopped. “I am not scared.”

“No.” The smile shifted off her face. “You wouldn't be. Nothing ever scares you, does it? You just react and deal with whatever happens…then bottle it up.”

“I’ve been shot to death, turned into a monster, and already been in and out of Hell…not a lot left to fear after that as far as I can see.”

“Those are things we have in common.” She watched him, eyes following his every move. “But you are not a monster, Richard. I _know_ monsters.”

He said nothing, only because he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

“How do you just turn it off? How do you get to a place where you can do that?”

“You have more empathy and compassion in your little finger than I have in my whole body. It’s easy for me to shut that off. There are only two people I really give a fuck about. Only two things scared me.” Richie turned back to her, sensing the wheels turning in that pretty little head. “Something happening to Seth and something happening to you. But I don't think it’s a conscious thing. When you’re hurt or in danger there isn’t much of a thought process beyond getting to you, saving you, figuring out how to save you.” He held her lingering stare. “Like you did tonight.”

“Tonight I froze.”

He shook his head. “Not when it counted. You rushed straight over to me and tried to stop the bleeding. You gave me your blood without a second thought.” He brought a hand up, sweeping his knuckles down the softness of her cheek. “You were there when it mattered the most. Katie, you are so much stronger than you think you are.”

She shied, eyes darting away from his. “You remember, after you and Seth abducted us…”

Of course he remembered, but he didn't want to talk about it. Richie withdrew his knife and set it on the rim of the tub. “Get in the shower, baby.”

With one hand he unhooked her bra and her breath hitched. He pulled the fabric away; inspecting the bite mark he had left on her. It would heal up, but it looked pretty harsh. He would have to be more careful next time. She had cut herself pretty deep with his knife too, but the wound had already started healing. A tasting his blood would probably finish the job.

“Not without you.”

Richie let his fingers drag across her skin, down to the thin elastic band around her waist. He snapped it against her skin, which took the question forming on her lips right out of her thought process. He noticed that the bruises were gone. She swallowed hard and shut her eyes as the cotton slid down her limbs. Her face relaxed, as she gave in to the sensation.

She grabbed the thin leather strap at his waist and unbuckled the belt. Her fingers dug into his waistband, quickly undoing his pants, and she shoved the fabric off his hips. He stepped out of them and nudged her backward. They move toward the shower together, silent, and climbed in. Kate stepped into the stream, letting the hot water pelt the front of her body.

Several minutes passed before she said anything else, but he knew she was going to say what she needed to say whether he wanted to hear it or not.

“After you abducted us, when we were on the way to Mexico… and Scott drew that pistol on you.”

“I remember,” he grunted.

“You leaned into it…like it was a toy gun. Like you were daring him to shoot you, right there. You were calm and agitated at the same time, but you weren’t scared, not even a little bit.”

“I was seeing shit.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Seth talked him down pretty easy… I didn't think he had it in him to actually pull the trigger.” He picked up the soap and worked the bar into a sudsy lather. “You were scared then, too, because you thought we would hurt him.”

“The whole thing was a chaotic mess, but that was the _moment_ …”

He stood in the wake of the spray and steam. He was cold, but didn't care. She didn't clarify what that meant, but he could guess, because she wasn't really afraid of him anymore after that moment. She had believed him, when Seth didn't. Why was she thinking about that?

Richie took his time scrubbing her skin, wishing he could wash away her troubles and questions as easily as he did the blood.

She turned around, facing him, and drew him under the spray. Her lips connected with his, supple tongue prodding his mouth. He could still taste the sweetness of her blood. Her blood tasted richer and more honeyed than anything he had ever had. She was light—the light of the fucking world. Dark souls had been his palate for so long, he almost couldn't control himself while feeding off her. It was dangerous and irresistible. He lapped his tongue against hers, drawing her into his mouth.

_I’ll be having Katie-Cakes for dessert…_

How right he had been. Blood rushed through his body, heading in a swift southerly direction.

Her need for air broke the kiss and ragged breath beat across his chest. Kate took the soap from him and worked it between her fingers, as he had. A smile curled across her mouth. “Did I ever tell you that Scott told me what you said to daddy?”

They had thought of the same moment, as the same time… He wasn't looking for signs or reasons anymore, but that was definitely one to add to his list.

Richie picked up the shampoo bottle and squeezed a good-sized dollop into his palm. She tilted her head back as he brought his hands to her head. He slowly worked the lather into her hair.

“What you said about needing to work things out… and about me. He told me _all_ of it.”

Soapy hands slid across his shoulders, tracing his clavicle. Her fingers groped his pecs, pinching a nipple. He did not want to talk about her fucking father, not while her hands fluttered across his naked body. She traced the spot where the hole had been and cleaned the healing claw marks on his abdomen. Her hands pushed around his waist and down to his ass, both hands squeezing his cheeks. He walked her back into the jet of hot water to rinse the soap away. Kate pulled him closer, his stiffening cock nudged into the softness of her belly. She tilted her face back up to his, seeking out his mouth again.

Richie cupped her jaw, slanting his mouth over hers. “You don't need to be afraid of anything anymore,” he whispered between kisses. “You have nothing to be scared of.” His fingers threaded into her wet hair, rinsing the shampoo away. “You’ve got me.”

She arched back, bottom lip quivering and hooded eyes little more than bright green slits. Her mouth opened and closed. Pink velvet swept across her fat bottom lip. He knew instinctively what she wanted to say, but she still couldn't say it. He didn't need her to say anything. He meant that. Standing, entwined with her, taking in the expression on her face as she tried to get the words out spoke volumes.

His lips took the words.

“Richie…” her hands slid around to his groin. She thumbed the head of his cock and stroked down the length. “I need you,” she gasped into his mouth. “I need you so bad.”

 

...


	22. BloodLust

 

 

Her lips meshed harder into his and she let go of him. Both arms wrapped around his neck and he lifted her, easily. Her petite frame caught between his body and cold tile, as he pressed her back into the wall. 

Their tongues dueled, though it was a battle neither would win. He widened his stance, shifting her. Richie hooked his arms beneath her legs, lifting her, so that her knees rested in the crooks of his elbows. His cock bobbed against her, prodding. She was so fucking hot. The coldness of the tile and shower steam teased, amplifying the heat of her body. Her heart pounded. The buzz of her blood in his ears drove him crazy. He held her there, pinned and at his mercy.

“Please,” she rasped. Kate tightened her grip on his neck.

“Tilt up.” Her pelvis shifted against his.

He positioned himself at her core without the assistance of his hands. Her teeth sunk into his bottom lip as he pushed inside her, sinking into her body inch by inch, without pause, until he was buried to the hilt in her softness and warmth. Her body squeezed around him. That was his favorite part—her body scrambling to accommodate his, so fucking tight and wet around him.

His name came out of her mouth on her breath, almost inaudible.

Those green eyes locked on his, pleading for him to move.

He didn't. _Not yet_ …

Watching her sexual frustration gave him a bit of thrill. Her hips jerked. She tried to rock, but couldn't move with the way he restrained her. She tried to make him move. The sensation became tension and he savored it. He could feel it coiling like a spring, as if it were some kind of tangible thing building between them.

“Please, please…”

Her head tilted back into the tile and she hissed at him. Those irises were a lovely deep sea green, so full of need and want. Tears formed at the corner of her eye.

He let her writhe, almost to the point of exasperation.

“Richie,” her voice broke into a sob.

Flattening his hands against the tile, he gave in. Slowly. Things would spiral out of control if he moved too fast too soon. He rocked back, withdrawing almost completely, and then sunk back inside her.

From a gentle saw, he worked into a steady pump. Her tits jiggled, both pebbled nipples grazing against his chest. Kate moaned in his ear, begging for it harder and faster. She knew exactly what he was capable of and she wanted all of it.

Music began to thump from the bar downstairs—a live band.

He pushed off the wall and balanced her weight. Richie gripped her by the ass, letting his fingers sink into the hard muscle, and moving her up and down the length of his body by the strength of his arms.

“Squeeze, Kate.”

It took her a minute to understand his instruction. She cinched around his waist and clenched her core muscles around him, tightening like a vice. He pumped right through it. Her face burrowed into his neck, teeth in his neck, fingers fisting his hair.

“Shit,” Kate shrieked. She slammed hard against him, squirming. “Oh holy motherfucker!”

His whole body shook with the movement and his foot slipped. “Fuck.” His grip was brutal. Richie put a hand out to steady them. “What…what’s wrong?” He realized the water pelting his side had suddenly gone frigid. “Oh… I got it.”

“So cold.”

Richie chuckled and leaned down, keeping her in place, to turn the faucet off.

He sat them down on the rim of the tub and rubbed his hands up her back, working up and down her arms to warm her up a little. “Better?”

She nodded against him. “What do you want me to do?”

“Ride me,” he husked. “Lean back, so I can see you. I want to see you, your body. Ride me so hard those perky little tits bounce.”

Kate perched both feet on the edge of the tub, on either side of him. She arched back, shifting her hands back to his knees. She gave him an amazing view of her body, from the top of her head to that pretty little cunt, and not a hint of self-consciousness.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Kate.”

She had a little trouble balancing on him like that. He sensed the worry about her foot slipping off the fucking tub and hurting them both. It would have been comical, but he did not want that either. Richie gripped her hip with one hand, keeping the momentum steady, moving her as she pumped her body on his. He guided her as needed. Teaching her how to pace, the same way he taught her how to kiss him, the same way he taught her how to suck his dick. He watched her body slide, open, pink, her plump little clit screaming for attention.

He gave the fleshy bundle a wet slap and her hips bucked hard, into him.

“Oh God,” she yelped and shuddered.

Richie slapped it again and her body wracked with a spasm.

“Jesus!”

The salutations amused him. He wondered if the Preacher’s Daughter still believed? That was a conversation for another time, however. She squeezed him again, clenching as hard as she could—supernatural hard—it made him want to call out to god himself. In the depths of his body, he felt his own release building.

He pressed his thumb into her clit, working the fleshy bundle with a circular sweep. “Cum, Katie…I want you to make a fucking mess in my lap…and then you can taste me. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”

Adjusting her grip, her foot slipped off the porcelain. He caught her and pulled her flush against his chest.

“Bite me,” she panted into the crook of his neck.

“No.” He was determined to try and control himself. “I took enough from you already.”

“Do it, Richie. Bite me… I want to feel it _like this_ …please.”

He couldn't refuse her again—because he didn't have a fucking shred of self-control. Richie craned back and let his fangs drop, hesitating only a moment, before sinking into her soft shoulder. The sweet hit his tongue first, taste buds bursting with sensation. She pressed a hand into his chest, he guessed to feel for his heartbeat. Her moans grew louder. Her hips pivoted into his, seeking stimulation however she could get it.

A barrage of her memories flooded his mind: an adorable little girl with brown pigtails and red satin bows running around an anonymous backyard. An image of dark hair woman he guessed to be Mary Fuller—it stood out as a treasured memory. The pain she felt as the bullets tore through her abdomen and lying on the ground at the Blood Well. He saw an argument with Seth _about him_ …knife-throwing girl? Jacob Fuller delivering an impassioned sermon. And then, he saw himself. Not the preening Gecko that he presented to the world, he saw himself the way _she_ saw him.

Kate exploded around him. She cried out, as her body wracked with the spasm. He held her tight. Her thighs quivered against him, muscles spent. A gush of fresh juice soaked his lap. The jolt of her body was all he needed to finish. Richie gave in to the release as all his senses filled with her. It was almost more than he could bear…

She whimpered when he released his fangs. Their mingled heaving and panting filled the small room. Kate pressed her forehead into his, riding the wave of endorphins.

 

###

 

Richie grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her back, so she wouldn't get too cold. He always made her cum. Like it was his personal goal every time he touched her. But _that_ was the most intense orgasm she had ever had, and she knew it had everything to do with his fangs. She rolled her hips, fighting to keep him inside her, despite the slickness of their combined juices. It was her turn, and nothing was going to take this from her.

He picked up his knife and ejected the blade. His tone was soft, almost boyish. “You ready for this?”

“Yeah,” she lapped at the blood on his lip.

“You’re the second person to do this…I don't,” he hesitated. “I don't know what you’re going to see.”

“Don't worry, baby.” A smile eased across her face. “I’ve seen it already, remember? Trust me.”

He lifted the obsidian blade high on his chest, piercing his skin. Kate watched the thin, dark red stream twist and slide down his pectoral muscle. It made her mouth water. She swallowed hard and bent to it. The flat of her tongue dragged, his blood burst in her mouth. Where her own had been sweet and tangy, he tasted savory and spicy, and thick like syrup.

Kate clung to him. She groped a hand round to the back of his head.

As his blood burned down the back of her throat an image of little Geckos materialized. A reprimand and near beating from _Ray_ , Richie protecting Seth. _Fire_. Orangey flames licked the wooden frame of a house. Awkward teenage Richie Gecko and Seth fighting, to protect him this time.

She sucked harder, digging her teeth into the small cut.

The torments of Santanico came next…all her damn head games. She saw how lonely he was without his brother—how easy it was for her to manipulate him and set him on this path. Successfully cracking his first safe. The Dew Drop Inn… The memory shifted between a dark haired woman and aquamarine water and splotches of sunlight bouncing all around her as she swam in the pool. She looked ethereal through his eyes, some kind of elemental otherworldly being. Blood filled the space around her as she floated and he asked if she was okay… lust bombarded her as his eyes raked across her body exiting the pool. And then, red water thundered past her. She called his name, and felt the constriction of his chest as his gaze locked on her from the opposite side of the River of Blood… _you shouldn't be here._ He knew immediately that it was her, not Amaru.

She broke the connection, breathing hard. “God, Richie.”

The wound began to heal. She watched the threads of skin seemingly weave back together. Her thumb dragged across his cheek as she cupped his jaw. He wiped the blood from her chin and her mouth twisted into a smile.

“What?”

“You were an adorable kid.”

“What did you see?”

She smoothed the worry lines on his forehead with a gentle caress of the thumb. “Just you.”

His lips brushed hers, softly. “Look,”

Kate drew back dropping her head. He fondled her left breast, more than just a grope, the cut she had made earlier healed. His puncture marks were also in the process of healing, threading closed the same way his had. Even the fresh bite he had just left on her shoulder had healed.

“You were right about the blood…you’re always right.”

He moaned as he disconnected from her body and Kate felt the loss immediately. His forehead pressed into hers with an affectionate nudge.

She didn't want to move. Her legs were as solid as gelatin, at the moment. She didn't want him to move, either. But they had to get dressed. Seth had been waiting for them and he would probably be grouchy when they finally came downstairs. Not that she could blame him, neither of them had spent much time with him over the last few days. She would find a way to make that up to him…later.

 

...


	23. Dhampir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took a strange turn...but i went with it. :)

 

 

“We still don’t know what it means, Kate.” 

“Well,” she exhaled tiredly. “We have plenty of time to figure it out. Its not like either one of us is going anywhere, right?”

His lips parted. Richie stopped her and the expression on his face shifted into one of extreme vulnerability, something he showed only her. “I’m not sure we do have time.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Those demons… Seth said those demons found a way out because they want something and they came to get it…and they came straight for us.”

“Me,” she stepped back from him. “You mean _me_. Don't you?”

Seth watched them, from the sway of the beaded curtain. Richie chose his words carefully with her. Instead of just blurting things out, or trying to mansplain it, he let her come to realizations all on her own. It took her half a minute longer to figure it out, but coming to that truth by herself gave her some kind of control of it. She didn't panic as much. He guessed that was the point. For someone with such poor people skills, his brother did pretty damn well with Kate.

Richie set the dusty tomes down on a table and faced her. “Us,” he repeated. “We’re all in this together, Kate. What happens to one of us happens to all of us.”

She looked exhausted. “I know that.”

“And you know neither of us is about to let anything happen to you again.”

“I know you’ll try to keep me safe.”

She could handle herself and she hated when they hovered and fretted over every little thing. Kate usually called them out on it, but things were a little bit mixed up for her at the moment. Lots of new information to process…but he noticed she didn't mind too much when it was his brother hovering, which was enough to make him salty.

“Its about fucking time.” Seth stepped through the curtain and sauntered over to them. He didn't want to do this in the actual bar. They didn't need anyone asking questions about weird books and demon shit. “Don’t either of you know what a quickie is? Thought you were gonna make me wait all night.”

Neither of them apologized for the time they took, they weren’t sorry. Not that he could really blame them, had it been him, he would have taken his time savoring her sweet ass too.

He gave them a quick rundown of his phone call with Scott and the minimal information he had received.

Richie sat down at the table and filled him in on the scuffle with the demons and how he ended up shot, the full extent of the damage. There wasn't a mark on him now, but Seth understood exactly how close he had come to losing him—not just gushing blood—an inch and a half to the left and Richie would have been fucking dust.

He was brief and to the point with his explanation. Seth got the feeling there was something he left out… “Richard,”

“I’m fine now.”

He stared at his brother. “How did you heal?”

Richie adjusted his glasses and opened one of the musty books. “I had fresh blood.”

He glanced between his brother and Kate. Richie ran his fingers across the yellowed parchment, skimming through page after page. Not saying another word about it. Kate moved her chair closer to him, perusing the page of weird images and strange text. She stayed strangely quiet through the entire story. He wasn't the _prodigy_ , but he had a pretty fucking good idea where the so-called fresh blood had come from. He chose not to say anything at that particular juncture, but planned to bring the subject up again later.

Seth leaned in over his shoulder. He had never really been interested in any of the Mesoamerican bullshit that had become their lives in the last few years, but now he wished he had paid some attention. He couldn't make out any of the goddamn hieroglyphics on the page.

“What are you doing?”

“Reading.”

Richie cocked his head. “You don't read, Seth.”

“Of course I fucking read,” he balked. “Everybody reads.”

“Really? Name one thing you’ve read recently that isn’t a skin mag, a bar tab, or Guns & Ammo.”

“Fuck you,” he barked. “I read. Plenty…now what the hell is this shit.”

“Sanskrit.”

“You actually know what this garbage says?”

Richie turned the page. “Some of its Spanish.”

That wasn't an actual answer. “Richard, I happen to know for a fact that you paid as much attention to Spanish class as I did. That doesn't mean dick.”

“At least I bothered to try and learn it.”

Kate pointed out one of the images on the page, a gnarly beast. “That looks like them. Don't you think?”

“That is one ugly mother.”

His brow furrowed. Whatever the text beneath it said, Richie clearly did not like what he read.

“Well, _Boy Wonder_ , what does it say? …in Spanish.”

“Howler demons are inter-dimensional, nocturnal beings,” he hesitated, “that possess recently resurrected humans.”

Kate swallowed audibly. “So it is me?”

“Or me,” Richie countered. “Becoming Culebra required a certain degree of resurrection on my end… it says they feed off the energies from the transmutation. That happened to both of us.”

“Why the fuck would they want you?”

“My wayob is powerful, asshole.”

“Your what? Oh, you mean the eye thingy? So, why come after Kate?”

“Kate is light. The energy of a light soul is ten times stronger than dark…she tastes _really_ good.”

He couldn't even bring himself to look at her. “I’m gonna pretend I didn't hear that.”

“But it doesn't make sense.”

Seth scrubbed his fingers across his chin. “What doesn't?”

“She tastes good, but that alone wouldn't be enough to get them out of hell and put them on her trail.” He shuffled the book and reached for the second one. “There has to be something more to it. Something I’m missing.”

“Maybe…it’s not that she came back, maybe it’s _who_ brought her back?”

Kate ticked one thumbnail against the other in an agitated fidget under the table. Those pearly white teeth sunk into the side of her lip; biting so hard she almost drew blood. She wasn't looking at the book anymore. Her eyes were glued to his brother, wide and pleading. Richie passed the second book to her.

 

###

 

She flipped through the book, grateful for a distracton. Kate opened the pages he had marked and settled into the chair beside him. The first bookmark was about the hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. She skimmed through the story of them tricking the lords with their resurrection trick. Such a strange tale… The second bookmarked page had information about different blood types. And the third bookmark was a section labeled _Dhampir…_

Kate read quietly to herself:

_“Generally, Half-Vampires are born, as the offspring of a vampire and human. In most ways, they are a mockery of both. Dhampir are almost all born by a female human and male vampire._

_In some rare circumstances, however, they can be turned. Pseudo-Dhampir can be created as a result of an exchange of compromised blood… They will neither be fully human, nor full vampire._

Like the blood from the blood well?

_“Most live a solitary or nomadic lifestyle because they are outcast by both groups. Mortals fear the Dhampir, due to their connection to the undead and their unnatural talents. They often become hunters, due to those heightened abilities. Vampires reject them because of their love and zest for life. Few understand them, and even fewer feel comfortable around them._

“Richie…” she tilted the book so he could see.

“I know…read it.”

_“Straddling the line between vampire and human, they must find their own path. Whether they choose one of evil or one that leads to redemption is up to them._

_“A Dhampir’s existence is a personification of the cosmic battle between light and darkness._ _They live as humans do. They walk in the sun and eat normal food, because their bodies burn through energy so quickly, their caloric intake is much higher. Some still require taking human blood, but most have no desire for it._

_“Most age the same as a normal human, though they live unnaturally long lives._

Kate turned the page. _“They feel the darkness call to them. They hear the moon’s song in their heartbeat.”_ She looked up at Richie again. The sentence was a metaphor, of course, but it was completely appropriate and applied to them in a profound way.

She skipped down to read more about offspring… “ _Dhampir are unable to reproduce with each other_. _Fertilization with a male vampire will always produce a Dhampir, and when mating with a human any offspring will be human._ ”

They could mate? He was looking at her when she closed the book. The blue of his eyes shifted in the dim light, his gaze stayed soft. “If this is…” she swallowed. “Do you know what this means?” her whole body began to tremble. “We could have a baby.”

Seth choked on his own spit. “Nobody is having babies.”

“Not right now,” she said. “But someday…it could happen…I mean, if this is accurate, it’s actually possible.”

Richie didn't speak. He didn't have to. It was something he never wanted. There were things in his DNA that he never wanted passed on. Like finding love, it was another one of those things he never thought would even be a possibly for him in the future. But the light in his eyes suggested that he might not be completely closed off to the idea. Shit—it might already be done, with all the unprotected sex they had…

“No,” barked Seth. “Get that thought out of your head right now, Princess.”

“I’m not sure why you think _you_ get a say?”

The incredulous expression on his face amused her. It didn't even occur to him that she meant _Richie_ could be a father. Kate flipped the book and set it in front of him. Seth scanned through the page she had just read and glanced between them. The chair scraped against the floor as he shifted back.

“I need a fucking drink.”

He shuffled away from the table without another word and ambled back into the bar. Both of them watched him disappear through the beaded curtain.

She knew she probably shouldn’t have said anything in front of him. Kate bit her lip. She wasn't going to start censoring herself for Seth’s benefit, though. “I didn't think—”

“You,” Richie licked his lower lip. “You might want _that_ …someday?”

“Maybe…someday.”

He got quiet again. She expected him to react the same way his brother had. At the very least, she expected him to mock, or make fun of the idea. But he didn't. “One thing at a time, okay?”

Kate nodded. She stifled a yawn. “I think I’m gonna go to bed.” She pushed out of the chair, her muscles protested, and began to ache as she stretched her limbs. In a matter of hours the soreness would be gone. His fingers danced across her bare midriff, curving around her waist as he pulled her in close. She pressed her mouth against his temple. “Come with me.”

“I’ll be there soon.” He gave her a soft kiss. “I’m going to finish with Seth, then check the perimeter.”

 

###

 

He watched the sway of her ass as she climbed the stairs. She managed to find the one more thing he was afraid of… the idea of having a baby scared the fuck out him. It wasn't a rational fear, but being responsible for the life of another helpless person, like that, was not on his bucket list. Until he read that book, he thought being a Culebra had effectively removed that option anyway.

“You better start pulling out, Richard.” Seth tilted the ice-cold beer in his hand up to his mouth. “Did you see the gleam in her eye?”

“It perfectly natural for a girl like Kate to want kids, eventually.”

“Early morning feedings and diapers? Fuck that mess.”

“Might not be so bad…”

He jerked forward as Seth slapped him in the back of the head. _Hard._ “Did you hear what you just fucking said? Jesus Richard.”

Having a kid was something millions of people did every single day. Apparently even vampires? He didn't see why his brother had to mock it. It wouldn't just be a part of him. It would be _Kate_. He was okay with that part. But, they weren’t having one. It was a scary possibility for the future. Say they did retire on a beach somewhere, he saw no reason not to give Kate what she wanted. However, now was _not_ the time to discuss it. “Can we get back to the fucking demons please?”

“Sure, daddy.” Seth manhandled the back of the chair and sat back down. “By all means, lets talk about demons instead of babies.”

“They were easy to kill and can’t fight for shit, but they do this berserk attack and come at you all at the same time, from all directions. They are down to two, but that doesn't mean more won’t come.”

“You think they’re after Kate?”

He hesitated. “Yeah, I do.”

 

...


	24. Pandemonium

 

 

At first there was only vast desert with a fiery vermillion sky. It looked innocuous enough, like sunset, but she wasn't fooled. Xibalba was a place of tests and trials, obstacles and traps, all designed to humiliate and kill. She didn't know if the gate had closed behind her or not, because she couldn't find it anymore. 

Wind howled around her, screeching, screams, wails and shrieks. She came upon a crossroads mirroring that of _the place of dead roads…_ a darksome crux meant to confuse and beguile.

Ahead of her, she could see the skyline of city.

Whispers began to surround, as if the sounds had risen up from the road itself. _It_ spoke. _Pandemonium._ She stood on the road leading into that place. The capital city of Hell, council place of the Lords. If Amaru had gone anywhere in this pit, she figured it would be somewhere in that city.

_Choose._

The path on her right led to the River of Scorpions. It was infested with insects and rodents. Darkness. Poison. Kate had no desire to attempt that one…

_Choose. Now._

The left would take her to the River of Pus. To get to it, she would have to traverse swamps of blood and bone.

_He is here…_

“Who is?”

The road didn't answer. It just echoed _choose_ again.

Kate moved forward, toward Pandemonium. The sky reddened into a deeper blood color and clouds flickered, but there was no source of light. No sun. No moon. No stars. Faceless children played in muck, where there should have been grass. A forest of dead trees that seemed to be nothing more than large, black wrought iron branches lay ahead. The path led straight into it. There were hidden creatures, not exactly birds, not exactly deer.

Through the trees, she could see the buildings were towers of bone and rotting flesh. The closer she got, the hotter the air became.

_Something_ was following her. She could hear it skitter in the dry grass, but when she turned around couldn't see anything. Kate remembered the Jaguar Warriors hunted by the sound of heartbeats and, at the moment, hers beat a wicked tattoo against her ribcage. Sultry air worked its way into her body, as she panted. Anger coursed through her veins, it was the only thing keeping the fear at bay. Still, she quickened pace.

Torrents of gurgling red water rushed past her, cutting right through the dead forest almost from thin air. No bridges. No steppingstones. No way over…

Whatever was behind her stayed there, hiding in the brush. Waiting.

Kate trudged the murky banks, moving quickly, hoping it didn't follow. The rocky overhang changed in width, some places were narrow, some were gaping wide, but there was no way to cross the River of Blood. Not for miles. There was nowhere to go but the river, if it decided to pounce.

Thunder crackled.

Kate came to a narrow. It was the narrowest part she had found so far, which was still at least twenty feet across. The bloody water rushed like rapids. It looked shallower than some of the other spots. If she could gain her footing, she might be able to cross.

A dark figure emerged from the shadows across the river and her heart stopped for a beat. She knew that ambling plod. It took a minute for his large silhouette to come into focus, coifed dark hair, and those indestructible horn-rimmed glasses. “Richie?”

Something was following him too, but he wasn't as concerned about it.

She called to him again, louder this time, “Richie!”

He didn't seem to hear her.

After an extended minute, he raised his eyes to hers, as if, suddenly, he felt her watching at him. When their eyes connected, momentary relief washed through her. He mouthed her name, but she couldn't hear him over the cry of the wind. She didn't need to hear him. The expression on his face was enough. He rushed through wild overgrown dead grass and prickly thorns to the edge of the river.

Her heart thumped erratically, she felt it in her throat. There was an intensity about him that words were too small to describe, something she had never been able to ignore.

“Kate…” His voice broke on the wind, “You shouldn't be here.”

“Neither should you!”

The ground rumbled beneath her feet, shaking. Twigs snapped behind her. She could hear it breathing. Kate was afraid to turn around, but held her posture rigid. The beasts of Xibalba didn't deserve to know that she was scared.

His gaze darted behind her—he saw it—whatever it was. Richie glanced downriver, both directions, and then his eyes came back to her.

“Cross.”

She swallowed hard. “Cross what, the river?”

“Fuck it.” He shot a determined look to the trees again. “I’m coming to you.”

Richie stepped into the rushing river without another word, before she could protest. His leg sank in to mid-thigh. She watched as he waded across. Another howl and scream pierced her ears. A burst of wind swirled around her, blowing the unnaturally red hair into her face. Kate edged the bank of the river, dropping to her knees.

Swells of thick red water careened around him and he almost lost his footing. The water almost seemed to be alive, pushing him around on purpose. He fought against it, staying upright and making his way through the sludge, to her.

“Richie—”

He grunted, “I got it.”

Kate reached out for him, as he got closer. Her fingers cuffed his bicep, latching onto the muscular limb and ribbing the black sleeve. She shuffled back to her feet, helping him climb out of the water. He was dripping blood and neither of them cared. Her petite body collided into his much larger frame. She pressed into his front, inhaling blood and cigarettes—the perfume of Richard Gecko.

She didn't even know what to say to him…

When she died, she had said the most awful things. She had told him to burn in hell and there they were… Amaru had tortured him, awoken his shadow-self to wreck havoc on the people he loved and used his memories of her to do it. She made Kate watch every minute of it. How could he even stand to look at her face?

A howl and a low, deep growl erupted behind them.

She slammed a fist against his chest, not recognizing her own voice as the words came out of her mouth. “I thought you were dead! _She_ said—” Her bottom lip trembled so hard she sunk her teeth into it to, to try and make it stop. “Richie… that bitch said—”

Both his hands found her arms, cinching around her shoulders—to draw her in close or push her away? She wasn't sure which. He tilted his head down, near hers. Kate felt every inch of his heavy gaze. Richie brought a hand to her face, cupping the side of her jaw, and ran his thumb across her bottom lip to quiet her. His features softened as a wave of emotion broke through his artfully arranged façade.

He had worked so hard to get her back, to try and save her. A flood of tears welled at the rim of her eyes and there wasn't enough air in her lungs.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you… but what the hell are you even doing here?”

The wind whipped hard. Kate pawed at his arm, trying to lock her grip on him. “I thought the gate would close if I went through. I thought…I could trap her.”

“Kate—” red lightening glinted off his horn-rimmed glasses. He glanced back at the bushes. “We can’t stay here.”

She turned toward the brush and several pairs of glowing yellow eyes peered back at her. “What is it?”

“You don't wanna know, trust me. Come on…”

Scratching. The rustle of branches, more snapping wood. The growl grew louder. Richie took a step back, moving her with him.

_Growl._

Two large shapes leapt out of the darkness. Two dog-like creatures, each with three massive heads sprinted toward them. Six sets of razor sharp teeth and foaming, bloody drool coming right at her.

_Snap!_

The beasts nipped at their heels as they ran down the riverbank.

Each set of teeth opened and clicked shut, missing her by a hair. Richie kicked one of the heads, but that just pissed it off. He palmed his Xibalban blade—what did he think one little knife was going to do against these creatures?

“Run Kate!”

He shoved her ahead of him. “Richie—”

“Go!”

“No! I just found you, I’m not leaving you again.”

Teeth sunk into his arm. Another set of teeth went for his neck. “We are not,” he punched with the knife. “Debating this,” another punch. “Right now…”

The second beast lunged at her.

_“Hey baby.”_ His voice echoed on the wind. 

His mouth pressed full against hers, there was pressure and heat and familiar smells. His lips were soft, but cold.

All three snarling snouts, bared their teeth.

_“Shh… It’s okay…wake up Katie.”_ He stroked her head, smoothing her hair back. _“Just a dream…”_

“No,” her voice broke. Xibalba and the gnashing teeth of the Hellhounds faded away as she opened her eyes. She croaked, “It wasn't.”

“We’re not trapped there anymore, sweetheart. I’ve got you and I’m never letting go.”

He had woken her up before the Hellions showed up, before Amaru came to mock them. She clutched him, trembling in his arms, fingers curling into the stiff material of his jacket. He was still wearing his clothes. Glasses. Watch. He still had his damn shoes on. Obviously, he hadn’t slept at all. “Why are you still dressed?”

Richie sat up. “Haven’t been to bed yet.”

“Why?” Kate sat up also, letting the sheets fall. She had lain in bed, naked and waiting for him. And, at some point, fell asleep. “Did something happen last night?”

“No,” he cooed. He shucked out of his jacket and pulled his tie loose. “I just wanted to be sure they weren’t out there and make sure the fuckers didn't come back.”

“What time is it?”

“Little after seven.” He traced her clavicle and let his fingertips tease across her chest, down to her breast. He circled the soft, pink areola, working it into a tight peak. “Sun just came up.”

“I was waiting.”

Richie pushed her back onto the mattress and drew her breast into his mouth, nipping the taut bud. “I’m sorry I made you wait.”

“I’ll wait,” she whispered. “I’ll always wait for you…as long I need to.”

He sucked and teased, switching to the other side. Richie shifted over her, tearing the sheets away. He mouthed across her abdomen. She moaned as he nudged her knees apart, moving down her body, lapping across the lines of muscle. Kate spread her legs. She pushed his head, aiming him where she needed, and shifted a leg over his shoulder. She dug a heel into his back, urging him on. He nuzzled the tender flesh on the inside of her thigh.

“The way you smell gets me so hard.”

“Eat.”

His fingers slid through her folds. Richie leaned forward, delivering a series of soft open-mouthed kisses to her lips. She wriggled her hips as his tongue darted across her flesh and speared into her depths.

She laced her fingers into his thick hair, lifting her head so she could watch him. He met her gaze from over the top of her pubic bone, still completely focused on the tongue-lashing. She squirmed, as he sucked her clit into his mouth with a French kiss. An immediate, sharp orgasm tore through her. Kate leaned back into the mattress, riding out the sensation…

He lapped at the fresh nectar her body readily supplied. He didn't stop. He wouldn’t, not until he had drunk his fill.

After delivering two more orgasms, Richie stretched out beside her and fell into the pillow. All his hard angles pressed into her, the erection he was too tired to give a shit about nestled into the cradle of her ass.

“I love you,” he kissed the tender spot behind her ear. “So fucking much.”

“You’re an idiot,” she whispered.

Kate stayed until he fell asleep. Then, she got out of bed, threw some clothes on, and went downstairs. She found Seth at the bar—already drinking, or maybe still drinking?

“Hey. Couldn't sleep?”

“Hey Princess, you’re up early.”

“I want pancakes.”

He considered that for a moment and nodded. “Richie asleep?”

“Yeah, he’ll be out for a while.”

“Alright.” Seth stood up. “Lets have some pancakes.”

 

...


	25. Breakfast

 

 

“Hey Little Lady,” Seth greeted the girl behind the counter. She spun around, and he swore the heave of her ample chest broke a bra strap. He had to force his gaze back to her face. “How are you this morning?” 

She plunged the rag back into the tub of water and wrung it out before answering, “Peachy. Just the two of you?”

“Yes.” There were only a few patrons in the diner, just the way he liked it, and it smelled clean. “And we would like one of your finest tables… What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Sam.”

Seth arched an eyebrow. He had never understood why any girl would want to be called something as trite as Sam. Nothing against the Sam’s of the world, but it was just too plain for most of the women he met bearing the name.

She dropped the rag back into the water. “What?”

Apparently she caught his unchecked reaction.

“What?”

“Sam, that’s my name.” She perched a hand on her hip. “What’s wrong with it?”

Seth shook his head. “Not a thing.”

“Then why did you make that face?”

Kate stifled her laughter, but she was still fucking laughing at him. Judging by the expression on _Sam’s_ face, he knew she wasn't going to let it be, or seat them, until he gave her an actual answer. “Sam,” he repeated. “It’s just that Sam is a boys name. Not the name of a beautiful young woman, such as yourself.”

With an incredulous suck of her teeth, she said, “Samantha.” Then picked up two menus, for them. “My name is Samantha.”

“See. Much better.”

Kate laughed out loud as Sam led them to a table. “I thought you lost your touch for a minute.”

“Blasphemy.”

She slid into the booth across from him, smile plastered on her face. It was good to see her smile. Her brown hair was shiny but tousled, a hand-tossed Gecko hairstyle if he ever saw one. She was polite, but didn't say much to their waitress. Both of them ordered coffee, to start, and Sam brought back at steaming, freshly brewed pot to fill their cups. Then, she gave them a minute to look at the menus.

“So…”

“So?”

“How you holding up? Everything good with you?”

The smile turned to a slight grimace. “Yeah. Just learned I’m basically a half vampire—but I got all the good stuff, I almost accidentally killed my boyfriend, and demons that possess recent resurrected human are after me. Everything is great.”

_Boyfriend…_ He found it interesting that she called herself a vampire and not Culebra, but he guessed that had to do with the lack of venom. She wasn't a snake.

“You talk to Richie about this stuff?”

“Of course.” At the mention of his brother, her smile shifted into an absolutely genuine grin. “To be honest, that’s the only thing that actually _is_ great.”

“Good. You deserve to be happy. If we’re being honest, I never thought I would see it happen.”

She spun the coffee cup, watching the liquid swirl. “What?”

“I’ve seen him suffer through bouts of unrequited love. I’ve seen him bemuse the fact that the girl for him was out there somewhere waiting…one that wouldn’t break him, or reject him, one that wouldn't shatter his heart into a million pieces. I watched him abandon his wants and needs, feeling like he was asking for some impossible thing. He focused on other stuff, the things he was good at.”

“Safe cracking and picking locks?”

“He had his doubts, you know… But you really love him.”

He watched her lips turn into a demure little Mona Lisa smile and pink rushed her cheeks. “I really do,” she said. “You too, you know.”

“I know…but us… we’re not like that.” He waited for her to deny it, but she couldn't. Kate loved Richie, a complete and unconditional love. He didn't want to ruin that for his brother, no matter how he felt. “So…vamp girl…any other lingering,” he gestured, searching for the right word, “uh…”

“Side effects?”

“Yeah,” he grunted.

“Yeah.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Don't leave me hanging, Princess, what kinda mutant powers are we talking here? You got x-ray vision too, what?”

She smiled. “No, don't call _Professor X_ just yet.”

Sam came back to their table, ticket book in hand, and he ordered both of them a short stack of pancakes.

Kate was in rare form this morning. She had been dealing with a lot. The changes were a lot to process. And he had shot Richie a few times, not near his heart, but with his Culebra shit shooting him really wasn't that big a deal. Richie didn't even get upset about it, either. It was an accident.

“Where do you want to go after we get into Mexico?”

She changed the subject and he let her, for the moment, but he wondered why? He assumed she thought he wouldn't understand. They were going to get back to the freaky shit eventually. He wanted to know. “I just want to cruise the coast. Settle somewhere and leave all the hero twin bullshit behind us.”

“Do you think _they’ll_ know we’re back in Mexico?”

“I don't know.” He sipped his coffee. “Kisa has that thing where she can sense him…so I imagine she knows when he’s close. I would also imagine they know about these demons by now…”

“So there is a possibility…”

He waggled a finger at her. “Don't even say it.”

Sam came back again, to deliver their food. She set the plate down in front of him and he flashed her his most signature grin—got nothing back. Not even a hint of a smile. He was glad Kate thanked her, because his mojo did not work on this girl.

He picked up the syrup and hot sauce and doused his plate. Kate stared out the window, watching something across the street.

Seth dug in. After devouring almost half his breakfast, he glanced up at her. She had only picked at her plate. “I thought you wanted pancakes?” He shoved another mouthful of the fluffy deliciousness into his pie-hole, tasting nothing but maple, and chewed. “You’re not eating?”

She picked up the sugar dispenser and tilted it, pouring a heap of crystalline granules onto the tabletop.

“Not much of a breakfast, kid.”

“Guess I’m not as hungry as I thought.”

How long had she not been eating? She didn't look thinner, or unhealthy. He’d have to keep an eye on that. Their time together in Mexico was short, but they had bonded over their mutual lost brothers. They were in the same boat back then. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but they learned a lot about each other. He felt like he hardly knew her anymore.

Seth raised his eyebrow again, but said nothing about the sugar on the table as she set the dispenser back down. He watched her spread the sugar into a flat oblong and absently traced shapes into it with her index finger.

She excused herself to the restroom.

He glanced at the mess she’d made on the tabletop. Seth dropped his fork on the plate with a clank, staring at the all too familiar eye-shaped pattern Kate had absently drawn in the sugar.

“Oh, fuck me. Not this shit again!”

 

###

 

Kate emerged from the ladies room several minutes later. As she made her way back to the table the bells on the doors tinkled. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. She glanced down at him and then behind him. “Seth,” she whispered. “Don’t turn around.”

A stout young man and an older gentleman in uniformed blues stepped into the Diner and approached the counter to speak with Sam.

He set down his coffee cup. “Cops?”

She made a single, inconspicuous nod. Part of her hoped it was a simple coffee stop, but that hope was crushed almost immediately, when the waitress picked up a couple menus.

“Fuck. How many?”

“Two.”

“Well then,” he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a few bills. Seth tossed them down on the table. “Sounds like it’s time we got the hell out of here. You got a gun, Kate?”

After the incident with the demons, she decided it would be best to carry the gun at all times. “Richie gave me his .38…but that’s only six bullets.”

“Six bullets is better than no fucking bullets,” he said. “Don't fire unless you absolutely have to, you read me?”

“Loud and clear.”

Seth worked his jacket, straightening the fabric out, ready to draw his weapon from the back of his waistband should the need arise. Kate stuck her hand in her bag, curling her fingers around the grip of the loaded gun. She knew he could handle whatever happened, but wished Richie was with them.

“Right this way, gentleman.” Sam led the policeman to a table, moving right past them.

Kate took a breath, trying to act as normal as possible.

The older of the two turned, scrutinizing her with that semi-intimidating stare they teach all cops to do. She swallowed hard, feeling sweat bead across her back. Seth drew his weapon, as stealthily as he could manage. It wasn't a good move.

“Excuse me,” the old cop called. “Young lady…”

Kate turned, fingers sweating around the grip of the gun. Her heart thundered and she felt it through her entire body.

“I believe you dropped this…”

She forced a smile and stared at the folded piece of paper the cop had pinched between his fingers. He held it up to her and she recognized the small block lettering scrawled across the front.

A genuine smile parted her lips… When had he left that? What did it say? She had to know.

Seth hesitated, but stopped too. He stayed in profile, so as not to give either cop a clear view of his face. The younger officer’s gaze shifted to him and they sort of stared each other down.

_Be cool,_ she thought.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the note back. There was something inside the carefully folded paper. She could feel it sliding around. _‘To: You, Love: Me’_ Her smile widened. It wasn't the first surprise gift he had given her, but it affected her just the same.

The old cop winked. “Looks important.”

“It is.”

He tipped his hat. “You have a nice day, darlin’.”

“You too.”

The second the cops turned around, Seth bolted for the door. Kate hurried behind him. He shoved the gun back in his waistband as they stepped outside and headed straight for the car.

“That was way too fucking close!”

She skirted around the back of the Cougar, to the passenger door, and slid into the car. Seth tapped the wires and the car roared to life— _still hotwiring the beast_.

“We should get that taken care of before Mexico.”

“Yeah, I had planned to do it yesterday. We can’t dick around anymore, we have to go, which means I have another stop to make. You want me to drop you off?”

“I don't mind going with you.”

He nodded toward the paper in her hand. “What the fuck is that?”

“Don't know.” Kate pawed the note. “Something your brother stuck in my bag…it must have fallen out when I went for the gun.”

“A love note?” He teased. Seth threw the car into gear and backed out of the parking space. “I think I just threw up in my mouth…a little bit.”

“Shut up, Seth.”

She watched the speedometer rise and strain, rise again, strain some more. Like the numbers on the dash had no meaning for him. They probably didn't. He turned a couple quick corners and doubled back. “Well, what does loverboy say?”

“That’s none of your damn business and I’m sure you don't really want to know. Do you?”

He grimaced. “Not so much.”

Kate carefully unfolded the paper to read Richie’s words. A thin silver chain fell into her lap. It was short. She picked up a delicate bracelet with a slightly curved, antiqued angel wing pendant that would wrap around her thin wrist, with an extended chain with a small crystal dangling from the end.

_‘This is going to be fucking sappy—fair warning.’_ Kate smiled at the slightly crinkled paper.

_‘I wanted to give you something that seemed effortless, like I just nonchalantly picked it up on my way home, because it made me think of you, so you would be impressed by my extreme smoothness and unbelievable gift-giving ability. But nothing I found was good enough for you.’_

“You’re grinning like a loon.”

She ignored him and kept reading.

_‘Then I saw this bracelet…and you came to mind. The only angel I’ve ever met… You are the light to my dark, Katie, and I want you. All of you. Every moment of every day, I want you. I want your flaws and mistakes. I want your imperfections. I want your joys and laughter and loves. I want you. From the moment we started talking, I knew that I wanted you_

_‘It’s you. It’s always been you. You’re the one._

_‘I fell in love with you at a time when I didn't even love myself, I didn't know how. I didn't want to fall in love, but you smiled and I fucking blew it. You are the last thing I expected… Things went off the rails after that, I know, and I’m sorry. All of that is over and we’re never going back._

_‘You changed everything for me, you know. Now, when I picture myself in the future I’m happy, because I’m with Seth and I have you._

_‘I love you.’_

Tears rimmed her eyes. She traced a finger over his signature. A teardrop landed on the paper and smudged the ink. He loved hard. He loved hard, because he knew how it felt to be loved so little. She never wanted him to feel that way ever again.

“Hey, hey—what’s with the waterworks? His poetry can’t be that bad.”

Kate sniffled and smiled. “No, it’s beautiful.” As they came to an intersection the light changed and he stopped the car. She thrust the bracelet at him. “Help me with the clasp.”

“God,” Seth chortled. He grabbed it by the angel wing. “That sonofabitch is already buying jewelry?”

“Please, shut up, and help me put it on.”

He pinched the lobster clasp and hooked the hoop into it. The light turned green and the driver of the car behind them beat on his horn. Seth was unconcerned. He adjusted the bracelet on her wrist and turned back to the steering wheel when he was good and ready.

 

...


	26. Wanted

 

 

“Exactly how long is this going to take?” 

“Why?” snapped Seth, “Got somewhere else you need to be?”

“Yeah, I owe your brother a blowjob…”

“Calm your tits, Princess,” he bit out. “It takes as long as it takes. The man and I are negotiating.”

The mechanic ‘friend’ of his had spent more than two hour jerking them around about how long it would take to repair the steering column. He also, conveniently, owned the equipment to replicate the key. The guy wanted a fortune for it and Seth was not happy to give up that kind of coin over a stupid fucking key. But they needed it. Val could not drive his car over the border with a torn up steering column and no key in the ignition.

“Sometimes you’re really a dick.”

“You know how hard I try.”

She wanted to spend time with him, but the afternoon was not going as she had imagined. Kate couldn't tell if it was because of him or her. “I’m going to walk across the street, to that coffee shop, and get something. You want?”

“Yes,” he grunted. “And not one of those frou-frou drinks, just a regular coffee.”

Pushing out of the chair she moved through the garage.

“Kate, wait—”

“What?” it came out harsher than she intended. She cleared her throat and took a breath. Calming down. “Sorry… what is it, Seth?”

“Nevermind. It can wait until you get back.”

She exited the mechanic’s garage and hurried across the parking lot. The street wasn't busy; Kate didn't wait for the light to change. She crossed and made her way to the coffee shop.

Her fingers curled around the door handle and her eyes landed on a badly photocopied black and white flyer taped to the window.

“Oh shit.” She swallowed hard.

Seth’s mugshot was surprisingly realistic and Richie had different, thicker framed glasses, but that face was easily recognizable. A blurb about them at the bottom of the flyer gave all kinds of info, along with how to contact the authorities—nothing about her. She exhaled, and pulled the door open. There were only a few patrons. On the announcements corkboard she saw another flyer. She saw one taped by the cash register as well. Kate assumed their faces were probably plastered all over town by now. The flyers were probably hanging at the border depot as well…

Her boys were fucked.

She ordered two coffees and a ham and swiss on wheat, paid, and left the coffee shop as quickly as possible.

Back in the mechanics garage, she found Seth sitting in the waiting area flipping the pages of an outdated magazine. She slumped into the hard plastic seat beside him and extended one of the coffees and the sandwich.

“What’s this?”

“The cops interrupted breakfast. Bottomless pit that you are, I figured you were probably still hungry.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Thanks.”

“And I thought it would soften the blow.”

He took a sizeable bite. “What blow?”

“There were flyers all over the coffee shop. Your mugshots.”

The heat was on and they both felt it. He chewed noisily, setting the sandwich back down. He took out the orange pill bottle from Doc and popped a large white pill into his mouth. It wasn't antibiotics, but  _painkillers_ …well that explained  _a lot_.

“Today has been shit so far, wouldn't you say?”

“I’m sorry. I thought it would be nice to spend some time together.”

“That’s not the shit part, sweetheart. Being with you is…nice. Everything else is fucked up.”

“I know that neither of us have spent very much time with you, since we started…” she nodded, hoping she didn't need to fill in the rest. “And with all the new developments…I’m sorry. I don't ever want you to feel ignored, or like you don't matter, because you do.”

“It’s alright.” He took a breath. “I’ve never been the third wheel, you know. I’ll adjust. We’ll all adjust. It just takes a little time. We’re all together and that's what matters.”

“So…you’re not upset?”

“It would be a whole hell of a lot easier if I was.” He looked at her. The sincerity in those puppy dog eyes was tangible. “The truth is…I have a jealous nature, we all know that. I can be one mean sonofabitch.”

“No argument there.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to grasp that you actually chose him over me.”

She whispered, “Sorry.”

“But the way he is with you, the way you are together… I want that for him. He needs  _normal._ And I’ve never seen him like this, happy. I didn't think anything would mellow him out, especially in the direction we were headed.”

“When you strip away all of the weird shit that happened over the last two years, all it really boils down to is  _love_. Even prodigies need validation of their feelings. Ignoring what was missing was easier for him, most of the time. He was broken. But really, he only ever wanted to be loved… genuinely loved.”

“And I wasn’t enough for him? He had to go seek it out from some figment in his fucking head?”

“If he hadn’t… we would never have met.” She smiled. “You give him a lot, Seth. Both of you have only ever had each other…that's what you got to work with, but there are things he needs that would be kind of awkward for you to give him.”

The smirk on his lips revealed that he understood exactly what she meant.

Their mechanic sauntered into the waiting area to speak with him. Seth stood up. Kate didn't really listen to him as he explained something about needing to rewire the whole line and car would be ready to go tomorrow, at the soonest. He begrudgingly agreed, and also agreed to pay his astronomical price—for expedited service.

Seth grumbled as the guy disappeared back into the garage. She could feel the heat, as his ears and face tinged red. He counted to ten, in staccato, to keep from exploding.

“Are you okay?”

He whipped out his burn phone and placed a call. “Fine.”

Who the hell did he think he was going to call? The sun was still high in the sky and would be for at least two more hours. Richie couldn't come get them. She missed him, but hoped he was still asleep.

“Hey,” he husked into the receiver.

From his tone of voice, Kate knew a woman had to be on the other end.

“You busy? I’ve got a small, teeny tiny favor.”

 

###

 

Twenty minutes later, a familiar vehicle careened into the parking lot. It came to a stop, turning sideways, and taking up two spaces. Valerie leaned out the open driver’s side window, big red heart-shaped sunglasses on her face, and long dark hair in a simple, high ponytail. “Hello handsome, Princess.” Her painted red lips parted into a smile. “Somebody called for a ride?”

He grinned and tilted his head toward her. “What do you say we get the hell out of here, Kid?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Seth moved to the driver’s side door and leaned down into to the window. “Scoot, I’m driving.” Val lowered the sunglasses and narrowed her eyes at him as Kate climbed into the passenger seat. Silently she moved into the middle of the bench and gave him the wheel. “Thanks for coming, Valerie.”

“Sure, baby… I saw you on a flyer at the grocery store. Nothing on Miss Kate, but you boys, your faces are starting to pop up everywhere.”

“Guess they finally figured out that we’re here.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“At the bar. He,” Seth grunted, trying to come up with a believable cover story to explain his brother’s absence. “Wasn't feeling well… It’s actually a good thing he wasn't with us, we ran into some cops at breakfast.”

“Sounds a bit hairy.”

“They didn't recognize me. But if he had been there, we would’ve been shooting our way out.”

She couldn't deny that. Kate liked his assertiveness, but sometimes he took it way too far. Sometimes the first plan that popped into his head wasn't the best plan. Richie would have shot first and asked no questions. Then, they would be making another half-assed run for the border at that moment.

“When will your car be ready?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

She nodded. “So this is it…isn’t it? Once the car is fixed.”

“It has to be.”

Seth stared straight ahead and Val hid behind the sunglasses, Kate could see that both of them were affected more than they cared to admit. “I’ll have one of the girls cover at the bar… whenever you’re ready to go.”

 

###

 

Asleep, he looked dead. Peaceful, but lifeless… There was no rise in his bare chest, no air in his lungs. No sounds. Just dark hair fanned across the stark white pillow. The white sheet draped across his hips and she assumed he was naked. 

The snap of her button and zipper were loud in the silent room. Kate slid out of the rough denim and yanked her shirt over her head, leaving her underwear. She figured her bra and panties were acceptable to return sexual favors, because she owed him for that mornings triple play. She wasn't kidding about owing him a blowjob. The mattress dipped slightly as she climbed onto the bed and crawled over to him.

She pushed his hair away, ogling that face. Fuck David, if Richie had been alive in medieval times Michelangelo would have chiseled his likeness out of stone. Hovering over him, Kate pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“Mmm…” he stirred a moment later, voice husky. One hand snaked up her arm and down her back, urging her weight down on him. “You’re cold, baby.”

“You gonna warm me up?”

“Isn’t that my job?” His lips curled into a smile against hers. “What time is it?”

“Early still, almost six.” She slid into his arms, settling against him and resting her head on his chest. “The sun isn’t quite down yet.”

“It’s hard to sleep without you.”

“Same.” She brought a hand up, stroking his cool cheek. For as hard as his body was, the softness of his skin always surprised her. “But I’m glad you slept.”

He caught her wrist, visibly pleased to find the bracelet there. “I knew it would be perfect on you.”

“It is perfect and—” Kate pulled the sheet and found Richie naked, just as she suspected. “—The note was sappy and beautiful.” His dick twitched, ruddy and pink, and not yet fully erect. She cupped him, wondering if she could get all of it in her mouth like that.

“What are you doing?”

“Thanking you.”

She pressed a kiss to his abdomen and let her tongue drag down the midline, all the muscles clenched and released. Licking all the way down, not even teasing, she wrapped her lips around the head and took him as deep as she could get him.

A sexy, guttural noise came from the back of his throat.

She increased the suction of her mouth, feeling him swell. After a few minutes of tonguing she wouldn't be able to swallow him like that again. His fingers threaded into her hair. Richie lifted his head from the pillow, watching her, so she exaggerated the swirl of her tongue around the ridge and lapped down the underside, to his sac. She glanced up at him through a fringe of eyelash. The predatory look in his eye used to make her nervous, but now she understood it.

“I’m gonna make you cum  _so_  hard, Richard.”

With a long stroke of her tongue she took him back into her mouth, guided by his grunts and groans.

He was fully aroused now, so she took what she could into her mouth. She worked into a bob, cupping and massaging his balls. She wrapped the other hand around the base, adding more friction.

“Oh fuck,” Richie panted.

 

...


	27. Voyeur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um yeah...guys i got totally carried away on the smut for the next two chapters. I'm also not sorry, are you surprised? I didn't think so... we'll get to Mexico, but i have to take another smutty road first.

 

 

He didn't mean to watch them.

 _Lie…_  

Kate had gone to wake his brother and not returned. When she didn't come back, he went upstairs. He found the door ajar and had a fucking perfect view of them.

_He did…_

He had a reason for coming upstairs, he did, a genuine reason, but he didn't remember it then.

_He really did._

He wanted to watch them get fucking filthy all over that bed.

They were as erotic as he had imagined—her in a sheer bra and white cotton panties, while his brother lay naked. The pleasure written across his face only heightened the arousal. Seth liked the expression on his brother’s face. It was so unguarded, so open.

_He was already hard too._

Richie reached for her, grabbing her by the thigh, and pulled her hind-end toward him. She didn't stop working that dick. Kate didn't even pause. She shifted with the momentum and carefully tucked a knee on either side of his head, settling over him. He yanked the white cotton off her ass, leaving them stretched around her mid-thigh, tight against his neck, almost choking himself with them. He nuzzled in. Kate dropped her head, taking him deep in her throat. She worked into a pace that matched his.

He didn't know how long he stood there, hard as fuck, watching her give his brother that something he couldn't… this would be his little secret.

Her mouth came off him with a soft pop, fist clenched around the root. Both eyes pinched shut and her mouth opened to let out a broken moan. He devoured that pretty pussy—ass too from the looks of it.

She struggled to keep up, but it took almost nothing for Richie to get Kate off. It was a bold gesture, trying to finish him off while he sent her hurtling toward an earth-shattering orgasm. He tightened his grip on her. Kate squealed as her body jerked over his.

 _Richie and his big dick…_ That unyielding erection stood at attention, his sac tight, her clenched fingers didn't quite close around him. Kate was lost in the curl, about to crest and break, crashing back into the surf like a wave into the shore. A series of shudders overtook her body, thighs quivering around his brother’s head. She gasped and rocked as the release hit.

It was beautiful.

When Kate came back down from the high of endorphins, she had that big reddened dick locked in her grasp. Seth wasn't as hard as his brother, just then, but his dick was pretty fucking hard, pressing painfully against his zipper.

She released him and levered up over him. “Don’t cum, Richard.”

“Inevitable, at this point.”

“Not yet,” she grunted, the need on her face evident.

Kate swung around, quick, shucking the panties off, and straddled him properly. The high-pitched, breathy noise she made lingered in his ears, as she rolled her head back and sunk down his length, all the way down.

“God,” she groaned, “I think you’re bigger?”

“All your doing.” His eyes fluttered shut as she rocked her pelvis. “Shit, baby, I’m too close…”

“Its okay,” she cooed. “Just fuck me.”

Hearing _those_ words in her sweet voice made him stop breathing for a full minute. He had never heard Kate talk that way.

Richie gripped her thighs and bent his knees behind her. She shuddered again, fingers digging into his chest and bicep. He thrust up, hard. Kate followed his lead. They worked into a steady, quick pace together. He pushed the bra out of the way, his momentum made those perky little tits bounce all over the fucking place—just how his brother liked it.

The muscles in his face were drawn tight. He struggled to hold onto a shred of control. He growled, pulling her down flush against his broad chest and rolled them sideways on the bed. Richie fisted the edge of the mattress, on either side of her body. She clung to him, eyes closed, head off the edge of the bed. His thrusts were hard and deliberate. Long strokes, as deep as her body allowed. Kate took it all, easily, as if his brother were a mere mortal and not some superhuman incubus.

Richie would make her to come again—at least once more—before he got off. It wasn't going to take long for either of them to get there.

“Touch yourself,” he croaked.

Her hand snaked between their bodies, obediently. His head dropped, following her movements, watching her play with herself—Seth was glad he couldn't actually see it from his position. Just imagining her fingers working that fleshy little nub almost made him cum in his pants.

Richie whispered to her, but he couldn't hear words. He heard little more than a breathy, erotic pant, but Seth knew all of it was dirty talk. His pace faltered and became erratic. He cupped her head, holding it reverently as he kissed her. Very quickly Richie lost the momentum he’d built, as they rode the precipice together.

Kate gave in to the second orgasm and watching it was like shooting a bottle rocket off the balcony on the Forth of July. He could see the fire and the heat. He could hear the hiss as the wick burned down, as she neared her release. And then _bam!_ Her body arched up, off the mattress, detonating in Richie’s arms. Her eyes shut tight as the quake and shudder overtook her. She gasped for air, the same as if she had suddenly realized she had been holding her breath.

And that was all it took. With a hoarse cry, Richie came too. He pumped into it, letting her body milk his. She held him close as he finally collapsed onto her.

In the afterglow, neither of them moved for several minutes. She wrapped all of her limbs around his body, locking him in place. Kate pelted him with soft little kisses. He was still inside her. The idiot never pulled out. Obviously, neither of them gave a fuck about consequences.

 

###

 

The pace of her heart slowed, returning to normal. He felt it against his chest. He was probably crushing her, but she didn't say anything about it. “In the throes of passion, you are the most beautiful thing in the world.”

“I don't know about that…”

Richie propped up on his elbows, over her. Sweat speckled her hairline and he smoothed her hair down the side of her head. “I’m serious, Kate.”

“So am I! You can’t see yourself.”

He wasn't sure where she was going with that comment. Seth was the one most women found attractive, not him. He was the geeky awkward one and his brother was the stud. That's how they played their roles. He accepted that long ago. It was part of the reason he focused on getting his sexual partners off as many times as he could. He may not be as attractive, but he could make them come harder. This last orgasm made five for Kate, just today.

Richie pushed off her and situated himself back against the headboard. He glanced toward the door, but saw nothing. Seth had been there, watching them fuck. Richie wasn't sure how long he stayed, but he felt him. He smelled him. He wondered if Kate could smell him too?

She gazed up at him. Those bright green eyes were so full of love, and maybe a hint of awe. He had waited all his life to have a woman look at him that way…

“You have no idea how beautiful you are, Richard.”

He blindly pawed the nightstand, finding his cigarettes and lighter. “Men are not beautiful.”

She sat up. “You are.”

And when she said it, he almost believed. She crawled over to him. He popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. The smoke hung in the air in soft bluish tendrils.

“Can I bum one of those?”

He gave her the lit cigarette and got another for himself.

Kate burrowed into his chest. “I didn't mean maul you like that…I just…missed you.”

“You won't hear me complain. I like that you can’t keep your hands off me.”

“Me?” She lifted her head, amused. “Oh, right, _I’m_ the one who can’t keep my hands to myself?”

“Its nice that you can admit it, shows maturity.”

“Shut up, Richard!” She laughed.

He did too, an actual full-bodied belly laugh. He didn't even remember the last time anything had made him laugh like that.

“You’re such an idiot.”

He nodded and stopped laughing. “Someday… I’m gonna marry you, Kate.”

“Promise?”

“Count on it.”

Her smile eased into a sultry, yet impish expression. “When?”

The cigarette hung off his lip, burning down into a wisp of smoke. _Now. Right fucking now._ She thought he was teasing her. He wasn't. “When you can say _it…”_

###

 

It took them a while to actually get downstairs. He wanted to stay in bed, naked with her, a while longer. But apparently his brother wanted to talk. After they made it downstairs, Seth filled him in on the plan for tomorrow night. The car. The cops. The flyers. Their fucking mugs plastered all over town.

Richie knew it was time to go too.

“Alright,” Seth smacked the bar, “it’s time. Line ‘em up, right here.”

He wasn't looking forward to leaving with those Howler Demons were still out there prowling. But they couldn’t risk staying. Kate stood between them, refusing the offered barstool. He wasn't very gentle with her. She had to be fucking sore, but the way she looked at him made his insides warm.

“Come ‘ere,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, rubbing down her back. “You okay?”

She nodded. “More than okay.” She stepped between his open legs. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

“No. You and I will come up with a plan together, something simple. We’ll get across and it’ll be fine.”

Val lined up twelve shot glasses on the bar-top in front of them and grabbed the closest bottle of tequila. She set down a saltshaker and a dish of limes. He watched as she gripped the neck and tilted the bottle, filling all the glasses with a quick even pour.

“Well, boys and girls…” Seth picked up two glasses and set them down in front of him and Kate. He gave one to Val and picked up one for himself. “Here’s to our last night in Texas.”

They clinked glasses.

Richie took her hand and brought it to his mouth. He let his tongue slid across her wrist. He picked up the shaker and sprinkled the salt across her skin. He licked part of it and she got the rest. They each downed a shot. He swallowed and picked up a lime. He bit into the wedge, forgetting the burn as the juice slid down his throat.

Kate made a face as she swallowed the tequila; he held the lime between his teeth, for her. She bit into it, gripping his thigh.

Seth passed out the second round.

This time, he pushed her hair off her shoulder, licking and kissing the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder. Richie applied the salt into the scoop and lapped it away, her pulse point quickened with the scorching sweep of his tongue. He picked up the second shot and knocked it back. Kate held out the lime wedge for him and he bit into it.

“My turn.” She unbuttoned the collar of his dress shirt and the first few buttons, and licked at his neck and shoulder—the same spot he had chosen.

“Oh, watch out now!” Val laughed. “Gonna get hot in here fast.”

He adjusted his glasses and tilted his head, so she could put the salt on him.

Seth grumbled, “How long does this honeymoon shit last?”

“Few months,” Val replied, with a hint of amusement in her tone. “Then they’ll fight non-stop.”

“I’m not sure if that would be better or worse, at this point.”

Richie chose to ignore his brother as Kate cleaned the salt from his skin with her tongue. She picked up her second shot and swallowed, noisily. He picked up another hunk of lime and she bit into it. Tossing the used lime down on her napkin, Kate rocked up on her tiptoe and pressed her mouth into his.

“Come here.” Seth doled out the third shot for each of them. “Lets show these amateurs how to do a proper fucking bodyshot.”

Val came out from behind the bar and sidled up next to him. He pulled her close, slowly loosening the buttons lining down the front of her gauzy shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra, just a loosely crocheted bralette. He closed an arm around her back, gripping her shoulder and pulling her, so her body arched toward him. Seth moved in right where he wanted. He nuzzled and licked the valley between her breasts, and then picked up the saltshaker.

She picked up the shot and a lime, holding them as he dusted the space with salt.

“Ready?”

The shot glass hovered in front of her.

He leaned forward and licked away the salt as seductively as he could manage. Val tilted the glass, slowly letting the alcohol run down her chest in a thin stream. Seth lapped at the fluid, drinking what he could and sucking the rest from her skin. Whooping and hollering erupted from Val’s regulars, cheering their favorite bartender on. She held the lime between her teeth and when Seth lifted his head, he bit into the wedge, brushing her lips with his. They lingered with the lime between them for just a moment, before he tossed it with the other rinds and kissed her properly.

The jukebox kicked on, a song with a fast pace and good bass.

When they finally broke apart the whole bar was in an uproar. He shouldn’t have drawn so much attention to himself, but these were Val’s people. They wouldn’t snitch. Seth was in his element. It reminded him of the time, when they were younger, they stole Uncle Eddie’s hooch and got the neighbor girl wasted. Amber? Or Amanda? He didn't actually remember her name anymore, but she had given him his first blowjob, and then Seth fucked her.

Richie turned back to Kate. She was already feeling it. Her eyes were glassy and she had a goofy smile on her lips. “You’re a cheap date, Katie.”

“I am not drunk…” Her eyes connected with his. “Yet.”

“It’s a good thing you already had your way with me.”

Her smile widened. “Why is that?”

“You’re gonna be fucking useless later.”

“Well, I guess we had better do this now…” Kate laced her fingers between his. “Dance with me.”

“What—here?”

“Dance with me, Richard. I know you know how. Come on…please?”

He absolutely did not want to dance in front of a bar full of people, but he also had a really difficult time saying no to her. Richie stood and let her lead him off to the dance floor.

 

...


	28. Ice

 

 

“I’m gonna miss you.” 

“Me too,” she replied. “It’s been nice having a man around.”

“You could—” Seth stopped himself.

“I could what?” Her smile softened. “Come with you? You know I can’t do that. My life is here. Everything I have is here. But…I’d like it if you called every now and again.”

“You could visit,” the words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. “If you wanted to…once we settle.” He didn't want to be the sentimental one, or the one who formed attachments.

“I’d like that.”

He didn't know where his brother and Kate had gotten off to, probably groping each other in a dark corner somewhere. Or, at least, that seemed to be where they were headed after grinding on the dance floor. Seth had been on edge all night, after watching the pre-game. He was ready to stick his dick inside Val the moment she bent over. He had suggested they go outside, so they could ‘talk’. He had no intention of actually talking. No one else was out there. They were alone with the tables and chairs.

Cubes of ice tinkled, as Val set down her rum and Coke. It gave him an idea… Both of them understood this was the last time, the last night for them. Yeah, they talked about visiting, but he doubted it would actually happen. He wanted to make this moment memorable.

“Do you like the Ice Capades?”

“What? Sure…as much as anyone, I guess.”

His lips arched into a wry smile. Most of the things his brother showed him were fucking useless—the _Ice Capades_ , however, was not one of them. “Richie never…did the ice thing to you?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Good.” He dropped his head to hers, catching her lips between his.

It took her a minute, but she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. It went from passionate, to desperate, to frenzied and Seth reveled in every moment of it. He cupped her ass and lifted her. There was a slight sting in his side as he moved—it had been hours since he had taken that Oxy…he needed another one. Val moved to wrap her legs around him, but he stopped her. Instead, Seth deposited her onto the closest empty table, right next to the frosty rum and Coke she’d been drinking.

He broke the kiss and picked up her drink. He sipped, catching a piece of ice between his lips. She didn't take her eyes off it. Seth yanked the buttons on her shirt open again. He leaned over her, pressing the ice to the hollow of her throat with his mouth. She shivered in his arms as beads of icy water trickled down her chest.

Seth shifted the crocheted bra-thing out of his way and brought the ice down to her nipple. With his tongue, he pushed the shrinking cube around her areola and latched onto the rosy bud. Her mouth opened to let out a pant. He worked the tightening flesh until the ice cube melted. Without releasing her, he groped for another. Once he had the fresh cube, he let the nipple slide from his mouth and popped the new piece into his mouth.

She gripped the edge of the table. Air shifted in and out of her lungs in a ragged pant. He toyed with her nipples until that piece of ice dissolved. Then, he pulled up a chair and settled between her legs. She glanced around, checking for customers, but wasn't worried about them enough to stop him.

He pushed her short skirt up and spread her legs, pulling her closer to the edge. Seth arranged one over his shoulder and let the other leg dangle off the table. He was going to fucking enjoy this. After returning to the glass for another piece of ice, he yanked her panties to the side and continued his ice capades. The ice contrasted the heat of her skin and the wetness of her pussy. With his tongue he moved the ice across her lips, coating the ice in her juices, and sucked it into nothing.

Val bit into her bottom lip to stifle a moan, but that only made her louder.

Seth took another piece of ice, he only had a few left, so he had to finish quick before he ran out of the goddamn ice. He dropped his head and lapped at her clit, working the ice cube in a circular motion around the fleshy little bundle of nerves. She bucked, hips coming off the tabletop.

This wasn't going to take long…

He took the cube out of his mouth and pinched it between fingers, working it faster against the bud. Her body jerked hard. Right before she was about to explode he popped the ice back into his mouth and latched onto her clit.

The orgasm tore through her in shudders. She was fucking _loud_. Val arched and tilted her pelvis. Seth traced the opening with the tip of his tongue and suckled the fresh nectar her body readily supplied.

He pushed a finger into her core, feeling her body clench and release. “I’m going to fuck you right here on this table, Valerie.”

She didn't say anything, only nodded. It was a statement, not a question, and it _didn't_ require an answer…

Seth withdrew his fingers and stuck them in his mouth. She tasted good. Sweet. The rigid outline of his cock tented his trousers. He unzipped, letting it flop forward, a bead of cum already weeping from the tip.

Val pushed up, he could tell by the look on her face that she wanted his dick. He would have let her slide to her knees right there and suck him off, but he had other plans. Seth stopped her with a hand to the abdomen. He pushed her flat against the table and leaned over her, positioning them tip to core. Prodding her, he pushed in the head and stopped.

She squirmed in his grasp, trying to pivot onto his length. “Fuck. Seth!”

He chuckled, grabbing her by the ankles, and set both legs on one shoulder, making his entry as tight as possible. Immobilizing her. Despite his hold, she still struggled against him.

“Make it dirty…”

Val knew exactly what he wanted. “The fact that you can completely overpower me gets me so fucking hot.”

Seth rocked his hips, but didn't push further than the head. He liked teasing her. The longer he did it, the more worked up it got her.

She grunted and groaned, pawing at the table. “You just love to turn me into a little fuck doll.”

“I do… and you love it when I make you my dirty fucking slut, don't you?”

“Yes!” the slight twang of her accent thickened. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”

“You want me to give you more of this?” He pushed a little deeper, knowing that he wasn't going to hold out long.

“Please—Seth, please. Fuck me hard.” She gripped the edge of the table. “You know what I want, now give it to me!”

With a lunge, he pushed into her, unable to stop himself. The first few strokes were jerky and slow, purposeful, but he couldn't keep that up. He wanted her body clenching around his as hard as humanly possible.

Seth worked into a merciless plunge and Val arched into the thrust. He let go of her legs and leaned over her, pressing a hard kiss to those plush painted-red lips. She fisted his shirt, working the buttons open, and locked her legs around his hips. All her muscles flexed, trying to pull the release out of him.

He gripped her by the neck, squeezing, trying to ease up and regain some control, but he didn’t quite get it back.

“Shit.” It was happening too fast. “I’m gonna fucking cum.” His sac tightened, he felt the prickle zip through his shaft like fire, it moved straight up his length. “God damn it.”

“Cum, baby.” She grabbed him, cooing in his ear. His fingers tightened. “Use me. You fucking sonofabitch, fuck that pussy like you stole it from a goddamn bank.”

He hammered into her harder. Sweat dripped from his body onto hers. Seth grunted, struggling to hold it together just a little longer.

“I want you to come so hard that I can feel your cock pulsing inside me.”

Seth arched and buried himself deep inside her. He let the orgasm bang through his body and pulled out, letting the thick ribbons of cum spill on the ground. Then, he pushed back inside her and rode out the sensations. He swept his fingers across her abdomen, sliding his thumb over her mound, to her engorged clit. She arched into the stroke of his fingers.

It didn't take much to finish her off. He watched her in that bliss. The way her face changed. The way her body moved in response to the release. Her eyes fluttered shut, and those long false lashes kissed the arc of her cheekbones. That soft pink tongue slid across her bottom lip. _God, she’s beautiful…_

“That…was…”

“Inspired,” he grunted. Watching his brother and Kate fuck earlier had certainly had an affect on him. He was going to store every second of this encounter in his spankbank for later.

He pushed off her and she sat up. “No one turns me on like you do. I’m gonna miss that dick.”

“Stay with me tonight.” Seth nibbled her lip. “I want you to.” He wanted a lot of things, but right now he wanted little more time with her, before they had to say goodbye. Before his life devolved into a series of cramped Mexican shitbag motel rooms and constantly walking in on his brother and Kate in various stages of undress.

She agreed.

 

###

 

The night waned. Only a few regulars remained in the bar, chatting up Val’s cocktail waitresses. They were effectively alone.

Kate was quite drunk. Her head spinning and her whole body felt warm, but she wasn't quite slurring words yet. Her ass was sore, the whole of her lower extremities throbbed. With her newly realized healing ability it would be that way long. Oddly enough, she liked it. Being sore made her relive each moment they shared, what he had done to her to make those part ache. Would her body ever get used to his size? The initial penetration and her core adjusting, she savored that, but the constant soreness had to go. Sometimes it almost felt like a beaten, her brain supplied hideous images of how bruised and torn up she might be down there—but she never had the guts to actually look.

“What are you thinking about?”

He wasn't drunk, but his cheeks were rosy and his eyes were glassy. She met his gaze. “I don't…uh-d-don't think you want to know.”

“At first it was just the look on your face, but after that non-answer I really want to know what’s going on in that pretty little head.”

“It’s n-nothing.”

“Kate,” he pressed.

“Don't you know? Can’t you see it?”

“I don't want to guess with you.”

“Truth?”

“Always, no matter what.”

She straightened up. “I was just thinking about… my lady parts and how they must look like a firecracker went off after you get done down there.”

His face shifted into a slight pout.

“It’s not how it sounds.” She stepped in close, using him as leverage to stay upright. “I’m _sore_ and my brain is overactive, but you did not hurt me.” Kate picked up the drink she’d been nursing and chewed the straw. “It’s just pictures in my brain.”

“I can categorically say that it does not look like that down there.”

“You probably wouldn't spend so much time down there if it did.”

“Not true,” he countered. “Some of them are a little more…out there…than others, but pussy is generally all the same.”

“So you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all?”

“Well, no. It’s like anything, they come in all different shapes and sizes, but they’re really all the same thing… Yours is plump and pink and beautiful,” he locked an arm around her back and pulled her flush against him, “and it’s _mine_.”

“It is,” she confirmed with a nod.

His lips meshed into hers. Not just a kiss—possession. She was his, body and soul, and he was all _hers_. It was cheesy as hell, but she had no doubt that he meant what he said earlier. He would make good on his promise and someday marry her.

“Where did Seth go?”

“Better question,” she said. “Where’s Val?”

He smirked and Kate grinned. They both knew the answer. She hoped Seth got what he needed, because he needed _that kind_ of attention—and he needed a lot of it.

“Richie, are we going to have to go back to sneaking around? We won’t have our own room anymore… Seth and I talked today. I don't want to make your brother uncomfortable, he’s already having trouble being the third wheel.”

“He loves you too, Katie… wants you.”

“I know.” She did know. It wasn't a secret, they all knew. “But he also cares about what _I_ want and I want you.” She nuzzled into his neck. “I like when you call me Katie.”

“What happens when you want him instead?”

“I want _you_ , idiot.”

He kissed her. “Once we get to Mexico, after we settle. We’ll fall into some kind of routine and life…will just be life.” He kissed her again. Those lush, moist lips captured hers. His hands gently gripped the sides of her face, drawing her closer. “Whatever happens…”

Kate broke the kiss, but stayed against him. “You’ll hate it. Seth wants the beach, you’ll get bored.”

“After everything he’s done for me the least I can do it give him _something_ he wants. He wants to retire on a beach, so we’re gonna find that fucking beach. I promised him.”

Kate sobered a little. An understanding dawned. He wanted to make sure Seth was taken care of, because he was still human and he wouldn't live as long as them… he wanted him to have his happy place. “You’re a good brother, Richard.”

“I’m glad somebody thinks so.”

 

...


	29. Author's Note:

**Author's Note:**

 

I'm so sorry this isn't an update. 

Thank you for all your support, kudos, and comments, both on here and on Tumblr. You guys don't know how important stuff like that is to an author. It's like crack. It really keeps us going. Makes me feel like i'm not wasting my time, ya know?!

Anyway - the reason this is not an update: I have been working on an original novel-length story, for possible publishing later this year!  That has my priority right now. BUT, this story has not been forgotten. More than you think...i may have...you know...pillaged this story a little bit and plagiarized myself--okay a lot--for the original story...i can do that right? Right!? LOL. I totally jacked some of the kichie scenes for the other story, and i'm not even sorry :)

I'm not like those other amazing writers who can write 5 stories at one time, i never could. I have to focus on one at a time or i get so scattered that nothing gets done at all.

This one is going to wrap up a little sooner than i originally planned, but in doing that, it will become a part 1/part 2... that isn't how i wanted to do things, but that's whats gonna happen. I hate having unfinished stories. Basically, i'm gonna get them to Mexico (or that's the goal, with Richie you never really know) and end this part as Part One, then when i have time to do part 2 (when i finish the OG Novel), that'll be what happens in Mexico-again. Because i miss them so damn much! I'm shooting for maybe 5-ish chapters to wrap things up and set up for part 2...i just don't know when it'll happen.

So that's all for now.

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking and all the awesome positive feedback i've received so far. You guys are awesome!

 

<3 Nik


	30. Time to Ramble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Surprise!
> 
> First - Thank you, to every one who left kudos or left a comment on my authors note. I'm sorry that it wasn't an update then. I'm sorry if you were disappointed. I hope this maybe might make up for it?? maybe? a little? LOL... 
> 
> One of my New Years Resolutions, along with writing everyday, is to get this story finished! I've got the plot outline to wrap up mostly written, so hopefully that'll make it easier for me to juggle. I am wrapping this up earlier than planned, but i always intended to do a sequel...so we'll see how that goes afterwards. I just really dislike having unfinished work hanging around out here. There are 5 to 10 chapters left... i'm not really sure how it'll all play out, but you can expect at least that much.
> 
> Anyway - so my plan is to update weekly. That's not a promise, that's just my plan...we'll have to see what happens with that too! We'll see if i got my mojo back.
> 
> <3
> 
> PS: I think this chapter feels a little short, but it is within my usual word count... and in my excitement to post this it, i really didn't give it a thorough edit...so hopefully there aren't too many mistakes! I just really wanted to give you something :)

 (Ch 29 actually)

 

Richie blinked as morning light spilled into the room from the open door, blinding him. Fuzzy black shadows filled the frame. He couldn't make out actual shapes. Voices distorted. The modern world, as he knew it, started to melt out of his vision…

Soft golden light filtered in from open windows, white curtains billowing with a soft breeze. The sun-warmed room was almost too hot to be comfortable, but that was how he liked it. Salty sea air wafted in on a gust of wind, mingled with burned popcorn. Birds squawked and chirped.

The three of them were laid out between two sofas, in a furnished living room he didn't recognize. Cuddling. Laughing. An old movie unfolding across the television screen, he wasn't sure which. Everything felt right.

 _Perfect_.

Kate’s eyes were bright, the smile on her face airy and light, her skin held a beautiful sun-kissed bronze color. Pure happiness radiated from her petite form. Then her face turned away, her body turned away from his. The laughter stopped. Pink tongue darted across kiss-swollen lips and, with only a flicker of hesitation, she said, _“I love you.”_

Voice, tone, and posture—the complete opposite of every other time she had tried to tell him how she felt. _Turned away…_ as if those words were not directed at him at all. An ache wracked through his core, pain as sharp and permanent as cracks on an eggshell. It came with weight and pressure, like being held underwater.

 

_“Ready, baby.”_

_“Yeah. Just about…Richard?”_

 

Richie’s head snapped toward the sound of his brother’s voice, the vision evaporating like a wisp of cigarette smoke. But he couldn't shake off the feeling of being gut punched.

 

###

 

“Crossing is gonna be a bitch with our faces plastered everywhere. Texas wants our balls.” Seth spun around, after realizing Richie didn't answer. He considered his brother for an extended moment. His face was paler than usual and he almost looked sick. “Hey, buddy? You okay?” He rounded the table and sunk down, crouching down beside him. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” he managed. Barely.

_Lie._

He shook his head. “Just had a…feeling.”

A _bad_ feeling? None of them said anything and as the silence continued, the more awkward and uncomfortable it grew. Now was not the time to second-guess, or rework the goddamn plan.

“I’m fine.”

“I know.” He patted him on the arm. “When we get down Mexico way it’s gonna be sweet rosemary, hundred-proof liquor, and rice and beans. None of that other shit is gonna matter.” Any by ‘other shit’ he meant, of course, demons and Culebras and the mystical underworld bullshit that had plagued them for the last two years. “Okay?”

“Yeah.”

It had been a surprisingly stressful morning. All of them waking up exhausted and hung-over did not help. “Stop bringing me down with this bullshit… Focus. Get your shit together. And when you're out there, don't be a fucking hero. If you see something that looks like something you might normally get involved in, just—don't. All right? Don't do anything stupid.”

“You know me.”

He grunted, “Exactly.”

“My shit is together.” Richie’s eyes darted to Kate, and then came back to settle on his. “Nothing to worry about, brother.”

“I’m serious, Richard. The last thing we need is for this thing to go down like a scene from _Rio Grande_.”

“ _Rio Bravo_ ,” he corrected.

“Same difference.”

“Hardly. _Rio Bravo_ is a much better flick. It showcased Dean Martin’s acting ability in a far more dramatic way and proved him to be a legitimate actor, not just the rat pack booze-hound everyone took him for.”

“But…didn't he play the drunk?” Seth shook his head. “Not important right now. What _is_ important is that you to remember that you’ve got Kate with you and _she’s_ counting on you—do not fuck this up.”

“I won’t.” Richie declared, standing up.

From the sudden change in his posture and determination level, Seth actually believed him. He stood up, again too. His brother would do anything to make sure she stayed safe, which was the one of two reasons Kate wasn't riding in the fucking trunk too. “Okay,” he said with a curt nod, then grabbed Richie by the shoulder and pulled him in. “Got your balls on?”

“Screwed on tight.”

“Déjà vu,” whispered Kate.

“You sure you wanna wear that suit, baby?” Val gave him a lingering once-over, letting those smoky eyes rake across his body. Memorizing all the little details for what she assumed might be the last time. _Would it be the last time? No. No way._ “Its gonna be hot as Hades in the trunk.”

There wasn't another choice. “I can take the heat.”

She sucked in a breath, dabbing at her eyes with a finger, and turning away before he saw the tears— _he saw them_. Val grabbed Kate and pulled her into a full embrace. She could have passed for Kate’s older sister. “You call me anytime you need to, princess. No matter the reason, if you need a break from these clowns… even if it’s just to say hey, ya hear?”

Seth bit back the grin forming on his lips. It was stupid and sentimental, but he liked that Val had adopted his pet name for her.

“Don't worry,” said Kate. “I will.”

“And you,” she wrapped her thin arms around Richie’s midsection—and he let her. “If you don't treat her right, I’m gonna hear about it. I got a shotgun and a shovel and I know how to use ‘em both.”

He didn't say anything, but a hint of a smile arched his lips.

“Alright,” she stepped back, sniffling. “Y’all have everything?”

“I think so.”

“Time’s wastin’.”

Most of the bags were piled in the backseat. Seth insisted on keeping the money and weapons in the trunk with him. The guns were loaded, but he didn't plan on having to use them. Leaving his brother with only the clothes on his back, with no gun, unsettled him. But Richie had other _weapons_ at his disposal. The knife was bone and rock, so it wouldn't set off any metal detectors… downside: no guns meant Kate would only have Richie for protection.

“You know how important that big lug is to me,” he said, throwing an arm around Kate’s shoulders. He gave her a squeeze. “Keep your eyes and ears open, follow his lead. But don't let him get sloppy! No unnecessary risks.”

“I know.” She rocked up and her tiptoes and pressed a kiss into his cheek. “Be safe. We’ll see you soon.”

He nodded, taking a last look at them, before following Val out the backdoor. Everything would be fine. It would. He didn't need to worry. Richie was practically indestructible these days. And Kate, he would protect her with his own body if he had to. He would take any hit, any bullet, before he let anything near her ever again. And as long as Kate was with his brother, he wouldn't do anything too stupid. Their fucked up little family was going to weather this storm just fine. Seth crossed the barren parking lot, headed toward the _cougar._

Val bent over, getting into the back seat to arrange bags, so they wouldn't shift too much during the drive _._ “Not to sound crass…” he reached for her, groping beneath the flirty little skirt swaying high on her thighs. “I’m gonna be dreaming about this ass for weeks.”

“You sure about this, Seth?”

She backed out of the car and straightened up. The look on her face was far more serious than he had expected. “It’ll be fine…we will be fine.”

“I mean your brother and Kate… You can’t tell me that them walking across without you doesn't worry you.”

“It does,” he admitted. “But I trust my brother. I trust him not to let Kate down.” _He wouldn't dare._ “That girl is the _only_ thing that is gonna make this plan work.”

She cracked half a smile. “What’s his disguise anyway?”

“I dunno… He’s been watching a lot of Shaw Brothers lately—I just hope he doesn't bust out a Fu Manchu Karate suit.”

That made her laugh, but he was serious.

Seth hooked her around the waist and drew her close, slamming the car door shut as he pressed his lips into hers, delivering a quick, hard kiss. “Mmm,” Her eyes stayed closed, as he pulled away. “Is that all I get?”

“Nah, just giving myself something to look forward to while I’m in the goddamn trunk.” They shuffled toward the rear of the vehicle. “Just…try to remember that I’m in there, while you’re driving around.”

“I’m not gonna forget, baby.”

He opened up the lid wider and climbed inside the trunk. She brushed her knuckles across his cheek.

“Last chance to back out.”

“No backing out. No take backs. This is it.”

Her eyes stayed on his. “Okay.”

 

###

 

“Three hours till sundown and the whole place to ourselves… whatever shall we do with ourselves?”

Richie finally put the cigarette that he’d been fondling into his mouth and gripped his lighter and sat down on a barstool. She knew, without him saying a word, that as soon as Seth and Val drove off, he was going back to bed for a few hours. He would sleep until the sun got low in the sky, and then they would head out to the border depot too.

“You nervous?”

She shook her head. “I’m ready for it.”

“That’s my girl,” he exhaled.

Wisps of smoke curled into the air, hanging around him. She scooted closer to him and took his hand, entwining their fingers. His gaze left hers, moving first to her lips, and then her throat. The gleam in his eyes turned predatory, which she now recognized as _hunger_. Her pulse jumped at thought of his fangs sinking into her neck and shoulder.

“Your heart is racing.”

“Seems to happen a lot when I’m alone with you…” She stole a breath. “So, are you gonna tell me about this feeling you had?”

His gaze shifted away from her. From the beginning she had been able to read him pretty well. His expressions, his body language, his moods and supernatural predilections, and she even noticed the shifts of his eye color. He was not like his brother at all. He could reveal everything or nothing with little more than a glance… Like right now. There was something he wasn't saying and she knew it, Seth had too.

“Doesn't matter.”

“It does,” she insisted. “But if you don't want to tell me that’s fine.”

“I need to go lie down for a while.”

“Can I come with you?”

He snuffed the half-smoked cigarette out in the ashtray on the bar and tightened his grip on her hand. Kate shifted with him, following as he led the way back upstairs to the room they’d shared.

 

...


End file.
